You may already know and love Deb Perelman’s infamous Pizza Beans, which have a jammy, brick-red sauce with a marinara pizza vibe. This recipe gives pizza beans the Margherita treatment, swapping a cooked-down sauce for fresh tomatoes cooked just enough to bring out their full flavor. You can use pristine specimens or damaged goods alike: blistering small tomatoes brings out their sweetness, while simmering large, grated tomatoes is an easy way to remove their tough skins and (flavorless) excess moisture. —Ali Slagle
What you’ll need
Large Skillet
$90 At Amazon
Box Grater
$19 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$19 At Amazon
Large Basting Spoon
$27 $24 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat broiler. Halve large tomatoes crosswise (through the equator). Starting with cut sides, grate tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a medium bowl; discard or compost skins. Add beans and season generously with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add cherry tomatoes; cook, shaking pan occasionally, until browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Stir in grated tomato mixture and reserved basil stems. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened and flavorful, 10–15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Remove basil stems from pan; stir in ¼ cup basil leaves. Shake skillet to evenly distribute beans. Top with mozzarella and 2 Tbsp. Parmesan. Broil until cheese is melted and browned in spots, about 3 minutes.
Step 5
Spoon tomato beans over toast as desired. Top with more basil leaves and Parmesan and drizzle with oil. Season generously with more pepper.
