For years I walked right past the bags of dried beans at the grocery store. They were pretty — all those different sizes and colors — but I never understood what a person was supposed to do with them. I grew up in a house where beans came in cans to be opened, rinsed and tumbled into big pots of chili where the seasoning would hide their bland flavor.

But then one day I was reading a blog called “The Paupered Chef” and I came across a post discussing “90 Minute, No Soak Beans.”

The method was easy. In a large pot with a lid, you combine 1 pound of dried beans, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and enough water to cover the beans by about 1 1/2 inches. You bring the pot to a boil on your stovetop, then cover it and pop it into a 250 F oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Pasta e Fagioli

Ever game for an experiment, I grabbed a bag of dried beans the next time I was at the grocery store and cooked them according to the Paupered Chef’s instructions. At the end of the prescribed cooking time I dipped a spoon into the pot, blew on the beans to cool them, and tried a bite.

It was like eating really fresh fish after a lifetime of mealy canned tuna. I thought I’d eaten beans before, but in that moment I realized I hadn’t. They were meaty and earthy and robust — the kind of food that sticks to your ribs and makes you crave it when you wake up at 2 in the morning.

And the second-best part is that all that goodness need not be inconvenient. Cooked-from-scratch beans freeze beautifully, which means that while they do take an afternoon to cook, you can make a large batch and freeze it to have beans on hand quickly for weeknight dinners. You can then use them in chili, soup or tacos just like you would use canned beans.

If you want to try something a little more creative, though, one of my favorite uses for from-scratch beans is the traditional Italian Pasta e Fagioli, or “pasta and beans.” With a hearty tomato sauce, it’s such a cozy winter meal. Make up a batch of delicious beans and give it a try.

Pasta e Fagioli

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

One pound of the dried beans of your choice, cooked according to the Paupered Chef method discussed above (You’ll have extra to use for another meal.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 sprigs rosemary, chopped (plus extra for garnish)

1 28.2-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound dried pasta (bow-tie, penne, or rombi are good choices.)

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach

Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Directions

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, gently warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and rosemary, count to 30 slowly, then pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices. Add the water and salt, turn up the heat, and keep the pot at a high simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water generously and cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Once the tomato sauce has simmered sufficiently, add the frozen spinach. Use a large spoon to break up the spinach until it begins to thaw, then add 3 cups of the cooked beans and stir more.

Keep the tomato sauce and beans at a gentle simmer until the pasta is finished. Drain the pasta, reserving just a little of the water. Add the pasta to the tomato sauce. If it looks too thick, add the reserved pasta water to loosen things up.

Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese and an extra sprig of rosemary for garnish.

— Meryl Carver-Allmond lives in Lawrence and writes about chickens, babies, knitting, gardening, food, photography, and whatever else tickles her fancy on any given day at mybitofearth.net.