This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Umami-packed puttanesca sauce pairs beautifully with hearty butter beans! Puttanesca beans are a versatile, 1-pot meal that is absolutely full of flavor. Gluten-free Nutfree soyfree
Table of Contents
I loved the incredible sauce that I made with my orzo puttanesca, so I decided to add some butter beans to it to make it into a one-pot bean dish. This is a fantastic and delicious pot of beans!
The puttanesca sauce has umami from the mushrooms, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the olives or capers, and it is just so flavorful. It also has Italian herbs and is slightly spicy from the red pepper flakes. All in all, it has a fantastic flavor profile.
Then you add some butter beans to that amazing sauce and simmer them together to meld the flavors. There’s protein and fiber from the butter beans, and it’s just a hearty and delicious stewy bean dish that you can serve with some garlic bread, sourdough or naan. You can also serve it over cooked pasta or a baked potato.
However you dish it up, it’s just fabulously delicious.
Puttanesca beans are also flexible! Use whichever ingredients you have on hand. There are different ways to add that umami using sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and capers. Even if you have two of those instead of three, it will still taste amazing.
If you can’t find butter beans, use other beans, like cannellini beans, other white beans, or use chickpeas. Or add some cooked lentils into the sauce to make it more like a puttanesca bolognese!
Why You’ll Love Puttanesca Beans
- super easy 1-pot 30 minute meal
- packed with protein, fiber, veggies, and FLAVOR!
- umami-filled, tomato-based sauce with tender butter beans
- versatile! Serve with bread to dip or over pasta or a baked potato
- naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
More Easy Bean Recipes
Puttanesca Butter Beans
Ingredients
For the Beans
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 ounces mushrooms, such as cremini, white, baby portabella, etc., chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 nori sheet, crumbled, optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomato
- 3 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped or sliced
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, or 1½ cups chopped fresh tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 to 1 cup water, or stock
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan mozzarella
- 15 oz can butter beans, drained or 1½ cups cooked butter beans or other beans of choice
For Garnish
- fresh chopped basil, pepper flakes, vegan Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and a good pinch of salt. Mix and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and the nori sheet, if using. Mix and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Then, add in the sun-dried tomato and olives, and nutritional yeast, mix well. Let that cook for about a minute, then mix in the canned tomatoes. Cover with the lid, and cook this for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the tomatoes start to get jammy. At around the 4-minute mark, stir the mixture and mash some of the larger tomato pieces and continue to cook for another few minutes. Then, fold in the butter beans. Next, add the water(based on liquid content already in the pan), vegan mozzarella, and butter beans, and mix everything well. Cover again, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes so the flavors can meld.
- After simmering, open the lid and taste and adjust the flavor and consistency. Add more salt, herbs, or red pepper flakes, if needed. If the sauce has reduced too much, add a bit more water to reach your desired consistency.
- Garnish with chopped fresh basil, vegan Parmesan, and additional red pepper flakes. Serve with garlic naan, sourdough, garlic bread, over pasta, or over a baked potato.
Video
Notes
They can be frozen for months. Reheat in a skillet or microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- aromatics – Sautéed red onion and garlic add the first layer of umami flavor.
- mushrooms – Use your mushrooms of choice, like cremini, white, baby bella, etc.
- salt and spices – We are seasoning the sauce with dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast. You can also add a crumbled nori sheet to mimic the anchovy flavor in traditional puttanesca sauce.
- tomato – In addition to sun dried tomato, you will add color and umami to the sauce with canned or fresh, chopped tomato!
- olives – Chopped or sliced Kalamata olives gives puttanesca sauce a distinct flavor. You can use capers instead of the olives or in addition to get that good, rich flavor.
- vegan mozzarella – For creaminess. Choose soy-free and/or nut-free, if needed.
- butter beans – You can substitute other white beans or use chickpeas, if needed.
- garnishes – Fresh basil, vegan parmesan, and more crushed pepper adds freshness and more savory-spicy flavors!
💡Tips
- Salting the onion while cooking helps it release more moisture and cook faster .
- Allowing the tomatoes to cook down to that good, jammy texture gives them such a rich flavor! Don’t rush this step.
How to Make Beans Puttanesca
Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and a good pinch of salt. Mix and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and the nori sheet, if using. Mix and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Then, add in the sun-dried tomato and olives, and nutritional yeast and mix well. Let that cook for about a minute, then mix in the canned tomatoes. Cover with the lid, and cook this for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the tomatoes start to get jammy. At around the 4-minute mark, stir the mixture and mash some of the larger tomato pieces and continue to cook for another few minutes.
Next, add the water, vegan mozzarella, and butter beans, and mix everything well. Cover again, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes so the flavors can meld.
After simmering, open the lid and taste and adjust the flavor and consistency. Add more salt, herbs, or red pepper flakes, if needed. If the sauce has reduced too much, add a bit more water to reach your desired consistency.
Garnish with chopped fresh basil, vegan Parmesan, and additional red pepper flakes. Serve with garlic naan, sourdough, garlic bread, over pasta, or over a baked potato.
What to Serve with Puttanesca Butter Beans
Serve with garlic naan, sourdough, garlic bread, over pasta, or over a baked potato.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is naturally gluten-free. To make it nut-free and/or soy-free, use a nut-free and/or soy-free vegan mozzarella.
These saucy beans can be made ahead and refrigerated for upto 4 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave.
They can be frozen for upto 3 months.
another delicious recipe! great umami – I forgot to add the suggested capers but will next time. Served over pasta.
Awesome!! So happy you enjoyed it.
I made this with the veggie stock but without the nori. It’s super easy and delicious!! So much flavor!! I love these one pot recipes. Keep them coming please. Thank you, Richa!!!
Yay! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Quit, easy and super delicious recipe I made as written except I have no mushrooms,, I threw in a bag of spinach which was very good and I’m sure mushrooms would be even better. Thanks for another another great recipe thank you Richa!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This was fabulous…I didn’t use olives but put 2T of capers in ..My only complaint is that it only served 3 ..next time I would double or triple it. It was an explosion of flavors in my mouth.
So glad you liked it.
O wow! I really enjoyed this, Richa! What a unique and flavorful recipe! Great idea with the nori! I would never have thought to add that! Thank you for another nutritious and delicious dish!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this last night and cooked lentil pasta in it. It was delicious! This will definitely be a regular dish. Thanks for all your great recipes, have made so many 😊
So glad you enjoyed it!
A new favorite recipe–love this! I used homemade cashew cream in place of vegan cheese, but otherwise followed the recipe. Many thanks for this creative puttanesca–such great flavor and texture–recipe.
Awesome!
This is so good that I can’t wait to make it again. I’m also planning on making it for my non-vegan family next time they visit. Simple ingredients that really come together. Thank you for sharing.
Yay
I just made this and while it tastes good, I wish I hadn’t added a whole cup of water as it didn’t need it. It was already watery from the diced tomatoes, so it just made the dish too watery.
Oh no. Uncover and cook, it will evaporate quickly if it’s a wide pan! Also longer cooking makes it even better! I’ll note this in the recipe now
Richa, I can’t thank you enough for your amazing recipes. Puttanesca Butter Beans amongst many of your other recipes are on my weekly meal planner. Your recipe ingredients are pretty well always in my fridge and pantry. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to add sun-dried tomatoes in oil or without oil in the Puttanesca Butter Beans dish. Although had both, added the sun-dried tomatoes without oil. Also added capers for that extra umamii flavour. Paired it with toasted sourdough, delicious.
Awesome! So glad you love it.
Delicious! I used great northern beans. The flavor was incredible! I used canned tomatoes and only 1/2 cup of water. This will be on repeat for us.
Yay!