Pizza Beans is an easy, one-skillet comfort food dinner that gives you big flavor, plenty of fiber, and a cozy one-pan meal you can get on the table fast.
For more high-fiber dinners, check out our cauliflower shawarma bowl, Greek bean stew with rice, Mediterranean stir fry, lemon vegetable curry.
An Easy One Skillet Meal That Feels Good and Tastes Even Better
Pizza Beans is our kind of comfort food dinner — warm, saucy, and satisfying while still feeling light and nourishing. 🍅 It’s a simple one-skillet recipe packed with fiber-rich beans, juicy blistered tomatoes, and just enough melted mozzarella to make every bite feel cozy without being heavy.
Here in Todi, Louise and I love making this on busy weeknights because it’s budget-friendly, quick to put together, and naturally fits into a balanced, Mediterranean-style eating pattern. 🥄 The beans add steady, plant-based protein, the tomatoes bring brightness, and the herbs layer in that slow-cooked flavor with almost no effort.
This dish brings me right back to my Nonna Lidia’s chicken pizzaiola — the same comfort, the same warmth, just in a lighter, veggie-forward version. It’s protein-rich, full of fiber, and makes eating more vegetables wonderfully easy.
Serve it with crusty bread, fresh basil, and a big spoon… this is weeknight cooking at its best. 🌿
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Extra virgin olive oil: adds richness and helps blister the tomatoes. Substitute avocado oil or light olive oil.
- Cherry tomatoes: they burst into a fresh sauce. Substitute canned diced tomatoes for a quick pantry meal.
- Garlic: builds depth and aroma. Substitute garlic powder or roasted garlic for a sweeter flavor.
- Tomato paste: concentrates the savory “pizza” taste. Substitute crushed tomatoes or marinara sauce.
- Dried oregano: classic pizzeria flavor. Substitute Italian seasoning or dried basil.
- Red pepper flakes: adds gentle heat. Substitute chili powder.
- Cannellini beans: creamy and high in plant protein, perfect for high protein vegetarian meals. Substitute great northern beans, butter beans, or chickpeas.
- Vegetable broth: creates a saucy base. Substitute water with a pinch of salt or chicken broth.
- Mozzarella: Shredded mozzarella or a torn fresh mozzarella both work beautifully. Substitute grated cheddar, crumbled feta, provolone, fontina, or dairy-free mozzarella.
- Parmesan: adds savory depth. Substitute pecorino.
- Fresh basil: brightens the dish. Substitute fresh oregano or a drizzle of basil pesto.
- Crusty bread: perfect for dipping to make it one of your favorite cozy fall and winter recipes. Substitute whole grain toast or warm pita.
How to Make Pizza Beans
Step 1: Blister the Tomatoes for Big Flavor
Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes, until the skins blister and soften.
Stir in the grated garlic, tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. This simple step builds big flavor fast for an easy weeknight skillet recipe.
Step 2: Add the Beans and Simmer
Pour in the cannellini beans and vegetable broth, then stir to coat everything in the tomato mixture. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. The tomatoes will break down, and the broth will thicken into a rich, saucy base.
Step 3: Melt the Cheese Under the Broiler
Turn on your oven broiler. Scatter shredded mozzarella (or a torn mozzarella ball) over the top and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Place the skillet under the broiler for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. This gives the beans that irresistible, pizza-like finish that makes this one of the best canned bean recipes to keep in your rotation.
Step 4: Finish and Serve
Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest briefly. Add fresh basil on top for brightness. Serve warm with crusty bread so you can scoop up every bit of the saucy beans and melted cheese.
Tips
- Blister the Tomatoes Well: Let them cook undisturbed at first so they develop deep, sweet flavor.
- Choose an Oven Safe Skillet: Moving from stovetop to broiler in one pan keeps cleanup simple and perfect for one-pot vegetarian dinners.
- Brown the Tomato Paste: Cooking it briefly adds richness and makes the sauce taste slow-cooked.
- Adjust the Sauce as Needed: Add a splash of broth or water if it gets too thick while simmering.
- Tear the Mozzarella: Irregular pieces melt beautifully and create that bubbly finish you want in healthier cheese recipes.
- Watch the Broiler Closely: Cheese can burn fast, so stay nearby for the last few minutes.
- Serve with Good Bread: The dish feels hearty and satisfying without extra cost, great for budget-friendly family dinners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, canned diced tomatoes work well, especially for quick pantry meals. If you use them, start by sautéing the garlic and tomato paste in the oil for one minute, then add the canned tomatoes, beans, and the remaining ingredients. Let everything simmer for about 15 minutes to build flavor before adding the cheese.
Great northern beans, butter beans, or chickpeas are excellent substitutes and hold their shape nicely.
It makes the broiling step easier, but you can transfer everything to a baking dish before adding the cheese.
Place the skillet on the second highest rack and check it every minute until it’s golden and bubbly.
Yes, the beans and sauce reheat beautifully. Add the cheese and broil right before serving to keep it fresh and melty.
Definitely. Its warm, saucy, cheesy base makes it one of our favorite cozy fall and winter recipes.
More Easy Bean Dinners
- Three bean orzo soup
- Turmeric cauliflower and chickpeas
- Greek lentil soup
- Mediterranean greens and beans
- Dense chickpea sweet potato salad
- Mediterranean orzo and beans
- Turmeric rice with chickpeas
- Greek chickpea soup
If you tried this pizza beans recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Pizza Beans (Easy One Skillet)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste + black pepper
- 2 cans cannellini beans 15 oz / 400 g each can – drained and rinsed
- 1 cup broth vegetable or chicken
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella more or less to taste – or 1 fresh mozzarella bowl torn into chunks (about 7-8 oz or 200 g) or shredded mozzarella
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 4 slices crusty bread toasted, for serving
Instructions
- Blister the tomatoes: Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.Add 2 pints cherry tomatoes (halved) and cook about 5 minutes, until the skins start to blister. Stir in 2 cloves garlic (grated), 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add beans and simmer: Stir in 2 cans cannellini beans (drained and rinsed) and 1 cup broth. Mix well, bring to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes. The tomatoes should soften, and the sauce will thicken.
- Add cheese and broil: Turn on your oven broiler. Top the skillet with 1½ cups shredded mozzarella (or a mozzarella ball torn into chunks), and ⅓ cup grated parmesan. Broil 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden in spots.
- Finish and serve: Remove from the oven and add 1 handful fresh basil on top. Serve warm with 4 slices crusty bread to scoop up the saucy beans and melted cheese.
Notes
- Extra virgin olive oil → avocado oil, light olive oil
- Cherry tomatoes → marinara sauce, canned diced, crushed, or whole peeled tomatoes
- Garlic → garlic powder, roasted garlic
- Tomato paste → tomato passata, marinara sauce
- Dried oregano → Italian seasoning, dried basil
- Cannellini beans → great northern beans, butter beans, chickpeas
- Vegetable broth → water + pinch of salt, chicken broth
- Mozzarella → fresh or shredded both work. Substitute cheddar, crumbled feta, provolone, fontina, dairy-free mozzarella
- Parmesan → pecorino Romano
- Fresh basil → fresh oregano, basil pesto
- Crusty bread → whole grain toast, warm pita
- Blister the tomatoes well: Let them cook undisturbed to build deep, sweet flavor.
- Use an oven-safe skillet: Seamlessly go from stovetop to broiler for easy, one-pot cleanup.
- Brown the tomato paste: A quick cook boosts richness and adds slow-simmered depth.
- Adjust the sauce: Splash in broth or water if it thickens too much.
- Tear the mozzarella: Irregular pieces melt into a gorgeous bubbly top.
- Watch the broiler: Cheese browns fast—stay close in the final minutes.
- Serve with great bread: Makes the meal hearty, satisfying, and budget-friendly.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We're here to share easy, healthy, and delicious recipes 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
Absolutely delicious! Please keep your wonderful recipes coming.!
Absolutely amazing dish,healthy, fantastic looking and good on the pocket,had daughter and son in law round to sample with a nice chunk of crusty bread and a glass or two of vino 🍷 they loved it,thank you both again ❤️
What a wonderful comment, Mark!
Sharing it with family, good bread, and a glass of wine sounds perfect. So glad everyone loved it.
Thank you for cooking with us and rating the recipes. Kindest,
Louise
This recipe looks wonderful! Can’t wait to make it! I’ll be using vegan cheese and veggie stock. I’m vegan and I always appreciate your notes and tips on how to use other ingredients.
So happy you like the recipe, Mary!
Vegan cheese and veggie stock work perfectly here. I’m really glad the substitution notes are helpful, and I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Thank you for cooking along with us.