Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Add tomatoes to a baking dish, drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Toss to coat and bake for 25-30 minutes or until soft.
In the last 10 minutes of roasting the tomatoes, start making the stew. To a medium-sized pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add onion and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant.
Add garlic, chili flakes, and tomato paste, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the tomato paste is caramelized and darkened in color. Make sure to stir often to prevent burning. If it starts to burn, you can deglaze the pot with a splash of white wine, broth, or water.
Next add white beans, vegetable broth, ¼ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and the bay leaf. At this point, the tomatoes should be ready, so take them out of the oven and smash each one with the back of a spoon to release the juices. Add them to the pot and stir.
Bring to a boil and simmer on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the stew has thickened and the onions are cooked through. Make sure to stir it from time to time.
Finally, stir in the chopped parsley and your greens of choice (if using) and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust the flavor if needed, adding more salt or black pepper as taste. Serve!