Escarole and Beans

• Servings: 6
• Print

Escarole and Beans is one of those meals I grew up on. My mom always made this. It is simple, healthy and delicious. It can be served as a soup or tossed with pasta, which is how we like it. One of the reasons I love pasta is that it can be paired with so many things. All you need is a little pasta and you’ve got Sunday dinner…

Ingredients

• 4 slices of bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes(more or less depending on your preference)
• 1/4 cup of white wine
• 1 bunch of escarole, washed and chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of low sodium chicken broth(start with less and add more as needed) If you are enjoying this as soup without the pasta you will need more chicken broth.
• 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cans of cannellini beans, drained
• grated pecorino Romano cheese
• Rigatoni or the pasta of your choice

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a large sauce pan until brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the onion to the pan and saute until it is translucent. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute for a minute or two.
3. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
4. Simmer for two minutes.
5. Add the escarole and season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the chicken broth and simmer until the escarole is wilted and soft.
7. Add the tomatoes and beans and simmer for a few minutes.
8. If you are going to serve this with pasta, set it aside and boil your pasta per directions on the box in salted water. Reserve about a cup of pasta water. Drain and return the pasta to the pan you cooked it in. Add all the veggies and bean mixture. Add pasta water if it is needed. Toss with a lot of grated cheese and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve in individual bowls and top with crumbled bacon and more grated cheese.
9. If you are going to enjoy this as a soup, keep it on low and add as much chicken broth as needed. Simmer until it is heated through. Add to individual serving bowls and top each bowl with a little crumbled bacon and grated cheese.

Enjoy!

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