Baked Lima Beans Parmigiana

Copyright, Mark Bittman: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 recipe Fast Tomato Sauce, well seasoned and warmed

4 cups fresh, thawed frozen, or cooked dried lima beans

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cubed mozzarella, preferably fresh (I used mozzarella pearls)

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a tablespoon or so of the oil to grease a 2-quart souffle or gratin dish or a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Spread the tomato sauce in the dish and spoon the beans on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the mozzarella cubes around evenly, pressing them into the sauce and beans a bit. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs, then the Parmesan, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

Bake until the cheese has melted, the sauce is bubbly, and the bread crumbs are browned, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your dish. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and a few more grinds of black pepper if you like, and serve.