My Lima Beans with Pancetta is based on a delicious dish I had while in Florence, Italy. In the area around Tuscany, beans are prevalent not only in side dishes like this one, but also in soups, pastas, and salads. Full of buttery flavor, beans are full of good-for-you fiber, protein, and vitamins. When sautéed with sliced garlic, salty pancetta, and a quick squeeze of lemon juice, they become, well—decadent. This dish would also work well with butter beans, fava beans, or cannellini beans; whichever you choose this simple dish is truly irresistible.
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Lima Beans with Pancetta
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz. pancetta, cut into cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 16 oz. fresh lima beans (frozen will work too, but thawed)
- Pinch of salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
- Place the oil, pancetta, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in a large sauté pan. Heat the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the pancetta is crisp (approximately 5 minutes). Add in the lima beans, reduce the heat to medium, and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the beans are heated through. Squeeze with lemon juice and serve warm.
Tagged: beans, garlic, Italian, Italy, lemon juice, lima beans, pancetta, side dish
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