Cannellini Beans with Tuna and Pickled Cipollini Onions

Crunchy pickled onions, smooth, starchy beans, and luscious oil-packed tuna are delicious together in this ready-in-minutes dish. Serve it alongside roast chicken or turkey, or as a light lunch with crusty bread.

• 2 (15-oz.) cans cannellini beans
• 1 (6- to 7-oz.) jar or can imported tuna (packed in olive oil)
• 10 to 12 Pickled Cipollini Onions with Chile and Cloves, thickly sliced
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Drain and rinse the beans. Transfer them to a serving bowl.


Drain the tuna, flake, and add it to the beans.


Toss the onions with the bean mixture. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Spicy Glazed Onions

Sweet little onions get a kick from cayenne and make an elegant accompaniment to roast beef. Cipollini onions are ideal here because they’re small enough to serve whole but big enough that peeling them isn’t a chore. Pearl onions are a good though slightly more-labor-intensive substitution if cipollini aren’t available.Web extra: View an audio slideshow to hear the sound of the glaze as it crackles, indicating that it’s time to lower the heat.

• 1 lb. cipollini or pearl onions, ends trimmed, with some root end left intact
• 1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs. honey
• Pinch to tsp. cayenne
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. white wine vinegar; more to taste

Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Bring a 4- to 5-quart pot of water to a rolling boil and add the onions. Cook for 1 minute, drain, and transfer to the bowl of ice water. Swish the onions around until they’re chilled. Remove them from the water and peel; the skins should come off easily when you rub them with your fingers, though some may need a paring knife.

Put the onions in an 8-inch-wide, 3- to 4-quart saucepan and arrange snugly. Add the butter, honey, cayenne, 1/2 tsp. salt, and enough water to just cover the onions (about 2 cups). Bring to a boil over high heat.

Cook over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze and the onions are tender, about 10 minutes. (If the glaze is done before the onions, add about 1/2 cup water and continue to cook. If the onions are done first, remove them and continue to boil the liquid until syrupy.)

Lower the heat to medium low, add the white wine vinegar and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and serve. (The glazed onions can be kept warm, covered, for about 20 minutes.)

Pickled Cipollini Onions with Chile and Cloves

Available throughout the winter, cipollini onions vary in size, so choose the smallest ones you can find, preferably all the same size. Pickled, they’re great in composed salads, stuffed into a chicken before roasting, or used as a cocktail garnish.

• 1/2 lb. small cipollini onions, peeled
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 6 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 large clove garlic, sliced
• 1 small fresh hot chile (about 1 inch long)
• Kosher salt

Bring an 8-quart pot of water to a boil. Immerse a pint-size canning jar, lid, and band in the water and boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. With tongs, transfer to a clean dishtowel to drain.


Wedge the onions and thyme into the jar, packing them as tightly as you can without crushing them.


In a 1-quart saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, oil, cloves, bay leaf, chile, garlic, and 1 tsp. salt to a boil over medium heat. Pour the mixture over the onions until it reaches the top of the jar. Distribute the cloves, bay leaf, garlic, and chile evenly throughout the jar. Screw on the lid, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate for 3 days before using. The onions will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.