(Sort of) Meatless Monday

January 12, 2023 /

I came across this recipe on Facebook, since I follow the New York Times there. It looked delicious, and seemed like a good candidate for a semi-Meatless Monday. I say semi, because I browned some Italian sausage for Ted to add to his, since he wouldn’t be having bread.

Stupid WordPress won’t let me change everything below this to blockquote, so it would be CLEAR that it is not mine. I mean, I’ve done it in the past, recently even, but whatever. I don’t want each ingredient to be its own blockquote. So, disclaimer…everything below is from NY Times, except that I changed the title of the recipe from ‘Parmesan’ to ‘Cheese’, because the recipe clearly asks for Pecorino Romano first, with Parmesan as a substitution.

Braised White Beans and Greens With Cheese

Inspired by the Italian dish of sautéed puntarelle (a Italian variety of chicory) and white beans, this recipe makes a satisfying vegetarian main course or a hearty side dish for roast chicken or sausages. In lieu of puntarelle, Collard Greens, Kale or Swiss chard work well. On that note, grated Pecorino Romano cheese gives the broth a more pungent element, but Parmesan will work in its place. Serve in shallow bowls with toasted country bread to mop up the garlicky broth.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and small-diced
  • 1 small yellow onion, small-diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or thyme
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 1 large or 2 small bunches escarole, kale or Swiss chard, stems removed (10 to 12 ounces)
  • 2 cups dried cannellini beans, or 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, plus more for serving
  • Toasted country bread, for serving

Instructions

In a 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the fennel, onion and rosemary, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute

Begin adding handfuls of the greens, cooking and stirring until leaves wilt.

Add the white beans, broth and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer, mashing some of the beans with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, then the mozzarella, if using, and Pecorino Romano. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide among shallow bowls and top with more Pecorino Romano. Serve with toasted bread and a dish of red-pepper flakes on the side.

Recipe from the New York Times cooking, but copied from here, as the NYT recipe is (sometimes) behind a paywall.

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