Oven-Baked Giant Beans (Gigantes)

• • 1 package (500g) giant beans (gigantes)
• • ¼ cup olive oil
• • 1 large dry onion
• • 3 cloves garlic
• • 1 large carrot
• • 2 Florina peppers (or sweet red peppers)
• • 2/3 bunch parsley
• • 1 package (70g) tomato paste
• • 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes or 1 carton passata
• • 2 tablespoons, approximately, ketchup
• • 1 vegetable stock cube
• • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• • A little chili flakes (boukovo)
• • 2 teaspoons salt
• • 1/3 teaspoon black pepper

For Baking

• • 1 Greek coffee cup of olive oil

1. 1. Soak the giant beans in plenty of water for at least twelve hours. The next day, rinse them and boil them in fresh water until they are tender but still hold their shape. Drain them and set aside.
2. 2. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the finely chopped onion until translucent. Add the garlic and the carrot cut into small cubes.
3. 3. Let them soften slightly. Add the tomato paste and scrape the bottom of the pot to release its aromas.
4. 4. Add the ketchup, tomatoes, vegetable stock cube, paprika, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Add the peppers and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
5. 5. Add the giant beans and the finely chopped parsley, stir gently, and transfer the dish to an ovenproof casserole. Drizzle with the olive oil reserved for baking and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C until the sauce has thickened and the beans have taken on a nice color.