Tag Archives: cannellini beans

Ribollita

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Such a thing as too many veggies? This recipe adds a pound of kale—that’s right, a full pound—to softened onions, carrots and celery, combined with beans and tomatoes. It’s simply a matter of bringing the other vegetables to the party in a simmer, then adding the kale and topping with the thick, toasted, crusty slabs of multi-grain bread. The whole dish bakes in the oven for a few minutes to crisp the toast and the Parmesan.

Confession, the supermarket carried kale, but it was lousy looking at best, so we opted for the substitute of escarole. And for a time-saver we used canned cannellinis, in fact we used two cans, about double the original amount!

This might be just the ticket to feast on after indulging in all that rich food during the holidays. Make sure to get a thick crusty multi-grain loaf of bread that is cut into 1-inch thick slices and toasted. Add extra parmesan when serving, if desired.

Ribolita

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 5 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 cups cooked or canned cannellini beans
  • 1 15-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  • 1 fresh thyme sprig
  • 1 lb. chopped kale or escarole
  • 4 large, thick slices whole-grain bread, toasted
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

  1. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Drain the beans; if they’re canned, rinse them as well. Add them to the pot along with tomatoes and their juices and stock, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so the soup bubbles steadily; cover and cook, stirring once or twice to break up the tomatoes, until the flavors meld, 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Fish out and discard rosemary and thyme stems, if you like, and stir in kale. Taste and adjust seasoning. Lay bread slices on top of the stew so they cover the top and overlap as little as possible. Scatter red onion slices over the top, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.
  4. Put the pot in the oven and bake until the bread, onions and cheese are browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. (If your pot fits under the broiler, you can also brown the top there.) Divide the soup and bread among 4 bowls and serve.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman for NYTimes Cooking

Cheesy Italian Baked Beans

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Flexible in that this Cheesy Italian Baked Beans recipe could be your main dish, or part of a meal as a side. Here, traditional Italian ingredients like onion, garlic, tomatoes, cheese, and rosemary put a spin on classic baked beans.

The prep is minimal and afterward it only cooks in the oven for about 20 minutes. When it came to topping the casserole with the shredded fontina cheese, I may have put a bit more than the 1/2 cup that was called for… like 50% more 🙂

I added a final step of letting the casserole sit for 5-10 minutes after removing from the oven. We paired the entrée with a side of steamed broccolini and a toasted whole grain baguette with garlic and parmesan.

Cheesy Italian Baked Beans

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped yellow onion 
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 28-oz. can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
  • ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped, plus additional for garnish
  • 3 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese 
  • Crushed red pepper
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup cup shredded Fontina cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until tender.
  2. Stir in tomatoes and rosemary. Bring to boiling; boil gently, uncovered, 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
  3. Stir in beans and half the Parmesan. Season to taste with crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to a 2-qt. rectangular baking dish. Top with remaining Parmesan and the Fontina. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until beginning to lightly brown around the edges.
  4. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
  5. Sprinkle with additional rosemary before serving.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine

Another One-Pot(?) Wonder

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Orecchiette Puttanesca with Tuna and White Beans is a hearty pasta dinner with a bold, briny puttanesca sauce that finds delicious partners in creamy white beans and flaked tuna. And the fact that it is a one-pot wonder, well, that is a bit of a misnomer.

In fact, it is anything but. Yes, the meal itself is made in one pot but you’ll need a couple of strainers for the white beans and capers, and possibly the the tuna if you want to drain and save the oil (which we did) and use that instead of additional olive oil. Plus, how about a bowl to hand-crush the whole tomatoes? And measuring cups to reserve the pasta water, and… well, you get my drift.

But let’s run with the concept. First boil the pasta, drain it, then use the same pot to make the sauce. Orecchiette pasta is preferred because the small saucer shapes catch bits of the olives, capers and tuna. Originally, the consistency of the sauce is kept on the “soupy” side; but stir in additional pasta water at the end to adjust the consistency to suit your taste.

As far as the amount of canned tuna in oil, only 5 ounces for an entire pound of pasta!?! Are you nuts? I used two 7-ounce cans, nearly three times the amount called for, and it was by no means overwhelming.

It’s important to rinse and drain the beans. If their starchy liquid makes it into the pot, it will turn the sauce thick and heavy. Don’t worry about removing the garlic cloves (do what?!) after they’re lightly browned. They’ll soften and break apart slightly as the sauce cooks.

Even if you do use more than one pot, the dish is well worth it and we loved the fact that there was leftovers for a couple of more meals.

Orecchiette Puttanesca with Tuna and White Beans

  • Servings: 5-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup pitted green or black olives (or a combination), roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup drained capers, rinsed and patted dry
  • 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • 15½ oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 5 oz. can olive oil-packed tuna, drained and flaked (we used 2, 7-oz. cans)
  • ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

  1. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 2½ cups of the cooking water, then drain.
  2. In the same pot over medium, combine the oil and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add the pepper flakes, olives and capers. Increase to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the capers begin to brown, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the tomatoes with juices along with the beans, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Stir in 1½ cups of the reserved water and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add the orecchiette and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 2 to 4 minutes; add more reserved water if needed to thin.
  6. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Off heat, stir in the tuna and parsley. Serve drizzled with additional oil.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted by Courtney Hill for Milk Street Community

A Fabulous Greek Bean Salad

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This delicious simple bean salad, Fasolia Piaz, was found in our Milk Street magazine and had the Mediterranean profile we were looking for. In Greece they typically use large, flat butter beans, but here, easier-to-find cannellinis are incorporated.

To compensate for canned beans’ blandness, they are heated in the microwave, then tossed while still hot with oil, vinegar and aromatics. As the beans cool, they absorb the seasonings, so they’re flavorful throughout.

A bonus, the beans can be heated, dressed and refrigerated up to a day in advance; but bring the beans to room temperature before tossing with the avocado, herbs and lemon. However, even cold the salad is delicious. A great dish to serve at a picnic or potluck as a side for meat lovers, or as a main for plant-based followers.

Milk Street stresses not to skip the step of heating the beans in the microwave, and don’t allow the beans to cool before adding the oil, vinegar and aromatics. Dressing them while hot ensures they are fully infused with flavor. To keep the flavors and colors fresh and bright, don’t add the avocado and herbs until you’re ready to serve.

Greek Bean Salad

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4 15½-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more, to serve
  • 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley, torn if large
  • 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

  1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, toss the beans with 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and microwave on high until hot, 3 to 3½ minutes, stirring once halfway through.
  2. To the hot beans, add the garlic, onion, vinegar, oil, 2 teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Let stand until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
  3. Stir the beans once again, then stir in the avocado, parsley, dill and lemon zest and juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with additional oil.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted by Courtney Hill for Milk Street

Spanish Chorizo, Ham and White Bean Stew

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Having made the traditional recipe—which takes hours—we were thrilled to find this quick-and-easy version of the Spanish tapa known as Fabada Asturiana, a hearty stew of dried beans, sausage and other smoky, porky ingredients.

A number of years ago on our first trip to Spain, we were lucky enough to enjoy an authentic fabada, shown above, in the little Austurian town of Cabrales in Northern Spain. The Hubs liked it so much, he bought the ingredients and smuggled them home. Luckily (or not), because I had suffered a broken foot a few days earlier, we were whisked through airport customs back home, preventing our illegal meats and beans from being confiscated. (I don’t advise this tactic as a long term plan 🤣 )

I digress, back to the recipe at hand… Based on the changes from Milk Street, we pared back on the meats, using only chorizo and ham, both of which lend deep flavor to the broth. The dish gets its name from the large beans that are traditionally used in its preparation, but canned white beans work quite well. Preferred are the relatively large size and creamy texture of cannellinis, but great northern and navy beans are fine, too.

A pinch of saffron adds a very Spanish flavor and fragrance, while giving the stew an alluring golden hue. The color and flavor were also amped up from our homemade ham stock, which replaced the chicken broth.

The Hubs was sorely tempted to add a pinch of pimentón, but restrained himself from adding it to the stew. However, he did decide to sneak it onto the toasted crusty bread. BTW, it will serve six as a first course, or four as the main entrée.

TIP: Don’t overcook the chorizo and ham after adding it to the sautéed onion mixture. If the pieces begin to sear or brown, they’ll be chewy and rubbery in the finished dish. Cook only until the chorizo begins to release some of its fat.

  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • Tbsp.  extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp. saffron threads
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 8 oz. Spanish chorizo, casings removed, halved and thinly sliced
  • 8 oz. ham steak, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1½ qts. chicken broth, or ham stock, preferably homemade
  • 3 15½-oz. cans white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Warmed crusty bread, to serve

Directions

  1. In a large pot over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, saffron and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
  2. Add the chorizo and ham, then cook, stirring, just until the chorizo begins to release its fat, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, beans and bay. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, for 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Remove and discard the bay, then stir in the scallions. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe adapted from Courtney Hill for Milk Street