escarole & beans
cliché i know but, a warm hug in a bowl
With snow on the forecast year again this weekend, I’m thinking ahead of comforting and cozy meals to whip up on Saturday. It’s been a while since I made escarole
& beans and I think I’m long overdue for a pot of it to be simmering in my kitchen. This traditional Italian dish is traditionally served as a side dish without meat, and often with less liquid, but I love adding sausage and extra broth to turn it into a full meal, as my mom often did for us growing up. It's an incredible cozy dish that tastes the way a warm hug feels. It’s nostalgic for me and reminds me of home, and I hope it will be for you, too! Add it to the repertoire and break it out whenever you need comfort.
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
pork sausage, hot italian, I always use Premio brand
garlic, 4 cloves, thinly-sliced
chicken stock, 4 cups
water, 1–2 cups
parmesan rind, optional, but makes the broth silky and more complex
escarole, 1 head, washed and stem cut off so the leaves will separate
cannellini beans, 1 can, drained and rinsed
parmesan cheese, freshly grated
black pepper, freshly cracked
Recipe
Heat olive oil in a pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the sausage and allow it to brown on all sides, but not to burn, turning as necessary. This step should take around 8-12 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden. Do not allow to brown or burn.
Add the chicken broth and water. This will create a bit of steam -- now is the perfect time to scrape up the fond and swirl, incorporating it into the liquid. This is called deglazing and will add a ton of flavor to your dish.
The "fond" consists of all the brown bits stuck to the pot after browning the sausage. It contains a ton of flavor that you don't want to leave behind!
Add the parmesan rind, if using.
Add the beans and the escarole, pushing down the lettuce so that it all wilts into the liquid.
Lower the heat and allow everything to simmer together for about ten minutes, so that the flavors meld together.
Taste the broth and add salt if necessary. You may not have to as the sausage should have added plenty of saltiness.
Remove from the heat and serve. Top each bowl with freshly grated black pepper, parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. Buon appetito!