Description
A comforting and easy-to-make Pizza Beans on Toast recipe featuring a flavorful tomato and cannellini bean sauce topped with melted mozzarella and optional pepperoni or ham, grilled to golden perfection. This dish combines the heartiness of beans with the classic flavors of pizza on crispy sourdough bread, perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- ½ tsp sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 400g can cannellini beans, drained
Topping and Bread
- 4 large slices sourdough bread or any bread of your choice
- 125g mozzarella ball, torn into pieces
- Sliced pepperoni or ham, to serve (optional)
- Small handful of basil leaves, torn, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the finely chopped onion and a pinch of salt, frying gently for 10 minutes until the onion softens without browning.
- Add aromatics: Stir in the crushed garlic and dried oregano and fry for an additional minute to release their flavors.
- Cook tomatoes: Pour in the canned chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, and ½ teaspoon of sugar. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
- Blend the sauce: After cooking, use a hand blender to blitz the sauce until smooth, creating a rich, even texture.
- Add beans and simmer: Stir in the drained cannellini beans and let the sauce simmer for another 5 minutes to heat through and combine flavors.
- Toast the bread: Preheat the grill to high. Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking tray. Grill one side of the bread until it is lightly toasted.
- Assemble and grill: Flip the toasted bread slices over, then spoon the bean mixture generously over each slice. Top with torn pieces of mozzarella and optional slices of pepperoni or ham if desired.
- Melt the cheese: Slide the assembled toast under the hot grill for about 3 minutes or until the cheese melts and becomes lightly golden in spots.
- Garnish and serve: Scatter torn basil leaves over the hot toasts and serve immediately for a delicious, hearty meal.
Notes
- You can substitute cannellini beans with other white beans or baked beans as preferred.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the pepperoni or ham.
- Use gluten-free bread to make this recipe gluten free.
- Adjust the seasoning and oregano according to taste for a stronger or milder herb flavor.
- Use fresh garlic instead of crushed garlic for a more pungent taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Keywords: beans on toast, pizza beans, easy lunch, grilled toast, cannellini beans, tomato sauce, mozzarella toast, vegetarian pizza toast
