This dish was originally a take on “beans & escarole” but apparently escarole is unfashionable in my little corner of Southeast Michigan and, therefore, hard to come by locally. So, instead, I present “beans & greens". Escarole is still listed as an ingredient but any flavorful, semi-hardy green will work. In fact, experimenting with different greens, or combinations, is strongly encouraged. Peppery arugula? Spicy mustard greens? Strangely earthy collard greens? Kale!?! Um… yeah.
[serves 4 + leftovers]
the stuff:
8-12 cups water
1 head escarole*, washed & roughly chopped
8 oz. small pasta
2 onions, diced
1 14-oz. can of beans, drained & rinsed
2-3 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
soup base (optional)
the steps:
In an appropriately sized soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat until "shimmering".
Add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute for about 5 minutes - stir often.
Add the escarole to the pot and saute for an additional 3 minutes - stir often.
Add the bay leaf and water to the pot and bring to a rapid simmer (no boiling).
Once the water is simmering add the pasta to the pot and cook according to the package.
Once the pasta is done cooking dump the beans into the pot along with the grated garlic (a microplane is especially good at this).
Allow everything to come up to temperature - about 5 minutes.
Take a sample and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper or your preferred soup base.
Kill the heat and enjoy.
the lessons:
My preferred way of preparing this dish is to have it be only a little soupy at the end.
Garlic is two-faced and most of us, as cooks and consumers, only experience one of them - the pungent, garlic-y side. The other side is slightly sweet and mellow in a way that most wouldn't realize. If you want your garlic pungent, cook it long. If you want your garlic mellow, cook it briefly, as I suggest doing here.
* seriously consider using kale, collards, or arugula
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