The Endorsement: Greek Giant Beans

A few weeks ago I picked up a couple of cans of the Greek Giant Beans in tomato sauce at World Market, while I was provisioning* myself to go up north for the weeke. I can't find them online, but here are some that look similar.



I never got around to trying them while we were away, so this afternoon I decided to do something with them for lunch. It turns out that these are some huge beans, and I made the best pasta salad ever with them. I call it "Warm Pasta Salad with Giant Beans." Here it is.



The beans are soft, the onions are crunchy, the capers are salty, and the spinach is healthy. The pasta is funny looking. In short, everything has something to contribute, so try to get some of each of the ingredients on the fork for every bite. This is equally delicious cold as a late night snack (I'm having some now).

To make this, accumulate the following: about a half a pound of funny shaped pasta, two cans of giant beans in tomato sauce, a couple of good handfulls of baby spinach, a medium-sized red onion, good olive oil, and some capers in brine. Total active time, about 15 minutes.

1. Boil and drain the pasta according to the package directions.
2. While the pasta is boiling, slice the onion into small pieces.
2. Before the pasta cools, pour it into a glass bowl and throw the spinach. Stir to wilt the spinach.
3. Add the two cans of giant beans, the onion, and a nice big spoonfull of capers. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the salad. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Stir gently to combine the ingredients, being careful not to break the beans. Serve warm.

*If you always travel with a salami, you'll be prepared for anything. It's like the towel in the hitchiker's guide.