Gigantes Pilaki

Gigantes Pilaki

Gigantes Pilaki is one of those recipes we come back to again and again, especially when we want something that feels genuinely special without loads of effort. Big, creamy butter beans slow-cooked in a rich, sweet tomato sauce with warming cinnamon and a kick of red pepper flakes. It's proper Greek comfort food and it tastes like it's been on the stove all day, even though it hasn't. We love this one for a cosy midweek dinner or when you've got friends coming over and want to impress without stressing. Make it tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 45 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large ovenproof pan

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stick
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 0.2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 10g parsley leaves
  • 700g butter beans
  • 1 400g tin of tomatoes
  • 100g plant-based feta
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ lemon
  • 2 slices of toasted sourdough

Method

1

Prep the veg

  • Peel and dice the onion
  • Dice the carrot and celery
  • Peel and mince the garlic cloves
  • Pick the thyme and parsley leaves
2

Make the base

  • Heat a large ovenproof pan over a medium heat with the olive oil
  • Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes until softened and lightly caramelised
  • Add the garlic, tomato puree, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and thyme leaves, cooking for 2 minutes
  • Stir in the butterbeans, diced tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer
  • Transfer uncovered to the oven to bake for 15 minutes, then crumble the feta over the top and return to the oven for another 10 minutes until thickened and the feta has melted
3

Finish and serve

  • Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon
  • Top with the parsley leaves and serve with bread

Tips & Variations

  • Use dried beans if you can: We usually reach for tinned butter beans for speed, but if you soak and cook dried gigantes beans yourself they go even creamier and soak up the sauce like nothing else. Worth it if you've got the time.
  • Go generous with the olive oil: This is a Greek recipe and olive oil is not optional here. Don't be shy with it, it's what gives the sauce that glossy, rich finish that makes you want to mop the bowl clean with bread.
  • Finish with fresh parsley: We always add a good handful of fresh parsley right at the end. It lifts the whole dish and adds a bit of brightness to balance all that deep, tomatoey warmth.

Why This Works

The trick here is that long cook on the onion, carrot and celery right at the start. Getting them properly softened and lightly caramelised builds a sweetness in the base that carries through the whole dish. The cinnamon is the other secret weapon, it sounds a bit unusual but it's what makes this taste unmistakably Mediterranean and genuinely different from any other bean stew you've tried.