Oven-Baked Giant Beans (Gigantes Plaki)

• • 1 package (500g) Giant beans (Gigantes)
• • ¼ cup Olive oil
• • 1 Large dry onion
• • 3 Garlic cloves
• • 1 Large carrot
• • 2 Florina peppers (sweet red peppers)
• • 2/3 bunch Parsley
• • 1 package (70g) Tomato paste
• • 1 can (400g) Diced tomatoes or 1 carton of tomato passata
• • 2 tablespoons, approximately Ketchup
• • 1 Vegetable stock cube
• • 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
• • A little bit Chili flakes (Boukovo)
• • 2 teaspoons Salt
• • 1/3 teaspoon Black pepper

For Baking

• • 1 small coffee cup 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 them aside.
2. 2. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the finely chopped onion until it becomes 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, the tomatoes, the 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 baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil reserved for baking and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C until the sauce is creamy and the top has a nice color.