Fresh Pinto Beans in tomato sauce

I saw mountains of these beautiful beans at the markets in Greece but never knew what exactly they were.

Handres, a woman informed me! They are delicious cooked in an onion tomato stew, she added.

I bought a kilo, noted the brief recipe she offered and brought it home.

 I looked up the pink and white bean online and, surprise! it's the pinto bean.

 I had never seen a fresh pinto bean before, the only ones I ever saw were dry beans.

 I got to chopping 2 onions...

 grating a couple of tomatoes, cleaning some garlic cloves...

 and after sautéing the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent,

I added the grated tomatoes to the mix. I then added half a cup of chopped parsley, a half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and half a teaspoon of dried oregano. I poured the shelled beans into the sauce and mixed it.

Simmer the beans until they are soft but not mushy. Mine took about 45 minutes. Add your salt once they are done. Serve in a deep dish and add a slice of crusty bread to sop up the delicious sauce.

Enjoy!

Maria