Gigantes Plaki

Easy·20 min

Large creamy white beans baked 'plaki' style in a herby tomato sauce with onion, garlic and plenty of olive oil until meltingly soft and slightly caramelized at the edges. A beloved meze and Lenten main.

Gigantes plaki are large white beans baked in a garlicky tomato sauce, a beloved Greek meze and main. The most prized come from Kastoria and Prespa in the north, whose giant beans carry protected-origin status.

The beans are buttery-soft and almost chestnut-sweet, swathed in a tangy tomato sauce gone jammy from the oven, with caramelized edges adding chew. Generous olive oil makes it lush, while parsley keeps it fresh. It is hearty enough to be a meal on bread.

Soaking and gentle pre-boiling fully hydrates the dense beans so they bake evenly. Uncovered baking evaporates water to concentrate the tomato sauce and caramelize the exposed beans, while olive oil carries fat-soluble flavours.

Variations

With spinach or kale stirred in, a smoky paprika version, topped with feta, made on the stovetop instead of baked

On the Palate

Where Gigantes Plaki sits in the Greek flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 6

How it's made

8 steps · 20 min

1
10 min
Soak the dried giant beans overnight, then drain.
2
50 min
Boil the beans in fresh water until just tender but not falling apart, then drain.
Watch out
Boil the beans only until a bean squashes easily but the skin still holds — cook them apart now and they'll turn to paste in the oven.
3
8 min
Saute chopped onion, garlic and carrot in olive oil until softened.
4
5 min
Stir in tomato, parsley, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper to make a sauce.
5
5 min
Combine the beans and sauce in a baking dish with extra olive oil and a little water.
6
30 min
Bake uncovered, stirring once, so the top beans colour and the sauce thickens.
Watch out
Bake uncovered so the surface dries — the exposed beans should catch a little colour and the sauce visibly thicken and pull from the edges.
7
30 min
Bake until the beans are creamy and the surface is lightly caramelized.
Watch out
It's done when the beans are soft to a creamy center and the top has patches of caramel-brown — that browned crust is the whole point of the dish.
8
5 min
Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with olive oil.