Pizza Beans

 

A family favorite from: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/weeknight-beans-on-toast

To make this a superfast meal, I use a giant jar of spaghetti sauce (my favorite for this is the big jars of Victoria marinara from Costco) in lieu of the crushed tomatoes. No need to cook it down.

For the beans:

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed

3 thinly sliced garlic cloves

½ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

3 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more

1 5-oz. package baby spinach, coarsely chopped

2 15.5-oz. cans white beans, rinsed

fresh parsely (optional)

For the garlic bread:

1 stick butter

1/4 C grated parmesan

1/2- 1 tsp garlic powder

1 TBSP dried parsley flakes

1 loaf italian or french bread or a baguette

1. Step 1

   Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and press down on it with a heatproof rubber spatula to flatten slightly. Cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, about 4 minutes. Turn sausage over and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the other side, about 3 minutes. Break up sausage into bite-size pieces with spatula.
   
   Add sliced garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook, stirring, until garlic is beginning to get golden around the edges, about 1 minute.
   
   Carefully add tomatoes (beware of splatter!), then 2½ tsp. salt and 1 cup water. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, 10–12 minutes. 
   OR 
   Add the jar of marinara sauce
   
   Mix in spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add beans and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Taste ragù and season with more salt if needed.

   Step 2

   Meanwhile, heat broiler. Cut your loaf of bread in half lengthwise, or into slices. Soften butter in the microwave. Mix in cheese, garlic powder, and parsley. Spread butter mixture generously over the bread. 

   Step 3

   Arrange bread on a  baking sheet and broil until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. 

   Step 4

   Divide toast among plates. Ladle a generous amount of ragù over and top with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley, if you want.

   Step 5

   Do Ahead: Ragù can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat over medium-low.