Rice and beans are served at every single meal in Nicaragua. It's either rice and beans, or riceandbeans, otherwise known as gallopinto ("red rooster," though friends and I used to call it "painted rooster" due to odd translations and plain old foolishness). The name alludes to the color of the mixture of white rice and small red kidney beans, which mirrors that of the king of the coop. More

Fava beans are sweet, tender, and pleasantly starchy. When they're coated with a slick of olive oil, vinegar and garlic bits, the contrast between the sharp dressing and the mild greenness of the beans is really wonderful. More

A simple, hearty spin on a classic: chunky grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with stewy shrimp full of white beans, white wine, a touch of butter, and even more garlic. Perfect for date night with someone you've been with for a long time... More

As great as white bean salads are, they need a partner to make a full dinner. I've seen a few variations over the years, but I was particularly interested in this recipe from Leslie Glover Pendleton's Simply Shellfish, because it pairs the beans with squid. More

Creamy gigante beans are tossed with a bright Meyer lemon vinaigrette and served over crunchy, toasted pain au levain. More

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Note: For the four weeks between January 14th and February 11th, I'm adopting a completely vegan lifestyle. Every weekday I'll be updating my progress with a diary entry and a recipe. For past posts, check here!... More

Note: Prep time can be significantly reduced if you use store-bought salsa verde. One 12-ounce jar is sufficient for this recipe. This recipe will produce more salsa verde than necessary. Extra salsa verde can be stored in the fridge in... More

Here's a shortcut to a seriously good cassoulet knockoff featuring crispy sausage, garlicky white beans, and toasty breadcrumbs. More

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab... More

The key is plenty of rosemary and a hunk of rind from some good Parmigiano-Reggiano tossed in while it simmers. That and plenty of good olive oil for drizzling. More