Friends! This one has us SO excited! The talented Deb Perelman from Smitten Kitchen inspired this dish. This recipe has been veganized and simplified to create the ultimate “cheesy,” saucy, and plant-based dish!
This zippy, savory dish takes the best of pizza and spaghetti. It then pairs it with fiber and protein-rich beans! It only takes 10 Ingredients and thirty minutes. That’s, including for the homemade cheese sauce. We’ll show you!
How to make vegan pizza beans
With a name such as Pizza Bean, we need to include a few important ingredients. First, sauté red pepper and garlic in olive oil to create a super spicy and savory base.
Next, we will add more pizza-ness to the mix by adding crushed tomato and Italian dried herbs. The maple syrup can be used to add sweetness and balance. Add the White Beans and mix it all up. Let it simmer for a few minutes to soften and blend the flavors.
It’s time for our “cheese sauce” to be blended! Raw cashews are blended with tapioca, nutritional yeast, and salt. This mixture is milky and can be poured on the beans. Friends, now is the time to have faith in the process! Covering the “cheese” and steaming it will firm up the “cheese.”
After (optionally) broiling the “cheese,” it becomes deliciously brown on top and perfectly creamy beneath. It’s pretty amazing!
Ingredients
CHEESE SAUCE
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- Water – 2/3 cup
- Lemon juice, 1 Tbsp
- Use 2 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast for cheesiness
- Tapioca starch or flour (for stretchiness)
- Half a teaspoon of sea salt
BEANS
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Four large cloves of garlic, minced
- Red pepper flakes, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ( optional).
- 1 (15 oz.) Can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 Tbsp dried Italian herbs*
- 1 tsp of maple syrup ( optional).
- Half a teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 (15 oz.) Cannellini beans or 3 1/2 cups of cooked beans
- Freshly chopped basil
- Vegan garlic bread
Instructions
- Pour the cashews into a heatproof dish and cover them with water. While you work on the beans, let them soak.
- Beans: Preheat a large enameled cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet (or any other oven-safe pan) on medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the olive oil and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about one minute. Stir in red pepper flakes, if desired. If you find that the food is cooking too fast, turn down the heat.
- Add the Italian herbs, salt, and maple syrup (optional) to the crushed tomatoes. Stir well, add the white beans, and then mix them evenly. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, until the beans are soft and the sauce bubbles.
- CHEESE SUGAR: Make your cheese sauce while the beans are simmering. Drain the cashews, then add them into a high-speed blender with 2/3 cup of water (160 ml), lemon juice, nutritional yeast, tapioca, and salt. Blend on high for about a minute until the texture is smooth and milky. Set aside.
- After the beans have been cooked, turn the heat down to low. Carefully pour the cheese sauce on top of the beans. Cover and steam the beans for 2-3 minutes in order to help the cheese firm up. Then transfer the beans to the oven and broil the cheese (optional) until it is dry and darkened. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
- Serve warm alongside roasted vegetables or sauteed greens. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for one month.
- Heat leftovers in the oven or microwave.
