Slow-Cooker Gigante Beans With Tomatoes and Pancetta

By johnwhorfin

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried white beans (see notes above)
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• A few cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1/2 of a 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed with your hands right into the pot
• A few sprigs thyme
• 2 ounces cubed pancetta or bacon
• Parmesan rind if you have one
• 4 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water (don't be afraid to use water — that's what I used the second time around, and that's what I will use from here on out)
• 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil (I like using 4, but if you are oil-averse, you can start with 2 and add more when serving)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Fresh cracked pepper, for serving
• Shavings of parmigiano-reggiano, for serving
• Toasted bread, for serving

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from popsugar.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

Place everything with the exception of the salt, pepper, parmigiano-reggiano, and toasted bread into your Crock-Pot. Cook on high for at least 6 hours. I did not soak my dried beans, and if I had, the cooking time may have been shorter. If you feel like soaking beans, do it. If you don't, just be prepared to cook the beans a little bit longer. These gigante beans are cooked after 6 hours, but taste better after 12. The broth, too, reduces and becomes more flavorful with the longer cooking time.

After the six hours, remove the lid and add salt to taste. I add about 2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, but add to taste — if you are using salted chicken stock, you will need less salt. If you use more bacon or pancetta, you will need less salt. If you are using water and no bacon or pancetta, you might need more salt, etc. — you get the idea. Continue cooking for as long as time permits — if you can cook them for 2 to 6 more hours, do it. Just be sure to check on the liquid levels every so often.