If you remember, a few weeks ago I got in my first order of Rancho Gordo beans. The first ones I cooked up were the Christmas Limas. Huge, meaty, and delicious, they star in Baked Lima Beans Parmigiana. This is another winner from Mark Bittman, who consistently turns out easy, delicious recipes. A quick tomato sauce is put together. I added some garlic to the basic recipe, along with a little bit of red wine to deglaze the pan after sauteeing the onions. It was a little chunky for my taste, so I gave it a whirl with the stick blender until all the big chunks were teeny, tiny chunks. The lima beans are spooned over the top, then cubes of mozzarella (I used the little mozzarella pearls) are pushed down into the beans, creating pockets of cheesy, chewy goodness after baking. A final topping of Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs is the piece de resistance before the dish goes into the oven to bake off. A liberal sprinkling of chopped Parsley adds a final, bright note before taking the dish to the table.
Between the antioxidant rich tomato sauce and the phytonutrient packed beans, I think this dish is a shoo-in for the ARF/5-a-Day Roundup over at Sweetnicks. Be sure to check it out on Tuesdays for lots of great ideas to increase your intake of fruits and veggies.
