Pasta with Escarole, Sausage, and Beans


The classic Tuscan pairing of beans and greens meets sausage and pasta for nourishing comfort food the whole family will enjoy.Save

The classic Tuscan pairing of beans and greens meets sausage and pasta for nourishing comfort food the whole family will enjoy.

If I told you that eight ounces of pasta could generously feed four adults and up to six depending on appetite, you may be skeptical. The following recipe, however, accomplishes that in a most satisfying way. 

Adding protein and an abundance of vegetables to a basic pasta dish has the power to transform that dish in multiple ways. Sure, these extras will provide a range of nutrients and make the meal more filling. But they can also enhance the flavor, texture, and overall appeal.

Roasted Veggie Pesto Pasta, Philly Cheesesteak Pasta, and Pasta with Sausage and Shortcut Broccoli Pesto are a few such examples that have long been on this site. The following recipe is my latest addition to this list, and it has become a favorite with my family for several reasons.  

The classic Tuscan pairing of beans and greens meets sausage and pasta for nourishing comfort food the whole family will enjoy.Save
A bowl of this nourishing comfort food contains everything you want in a well-rounded meal, from filling protein and beans to hearty greens and pasta.

Beans and greens is a classic Tuscan dish that is equal parts delicious, nutritious, and comforting. Adding pasta and sausage to the timeless pairing bolsters the dish with family friendly appeal for an easy meal that is worthy of the regular rotation. 

The meal is flexible too. 

The classic Tuscan pairing of beans and greens meets sausage and pasta for nourishing comfort food the whole family will enjoy.Save
I like this fun pasta shape, but any short or tubular pasta would work well.

For starters, you can use hot or sweet Italian sausage. Pork and turkey are both fair game. For a healthier alternative that tastes like sausage but is really ground turkey (pork and chicken work well too), you can start with the plain ground meat and add the spices detailed in this recipe for Homemade Sausage.

The classic Tuscan pairing of beans and greens meets sausage and pasta for nourishing comfort food the whole family will enjoy.Save

In the beans departments, I usually go traditional with cannellini beans, although I also like big butter beans. Because they are large, butter beans are also easier to pick out if you have kids who currently refuse anything in the legume category. Bean lovers may want more of them, in which case, you could add two cans. 

In theory, you could mix up the greens in this recipe too, opting for spinach, collards, or kale, for example. Escarole, however, offers an excellent way to incorporate a green many of us seldom use. 

For reasons I detail below, escarole also works exceedingly well in this dish. But to fully explain why, I’ll first offer a little background for those who may never have used it. 

  • A member of the endive family, escarole is a leafy green vegetable with a slightly bitter flavor and a
    hearty texture. 
  •  That said, it is more tender than kale (and not fibrous) and less bitter too. 
  •  Escarole is usually sold in bunches that look a lot like a head of lettuce, with wide, wavy-edged
    leaves. For this reason, it’s easy to miss it, mistaking it for Romaine or another leaf lettuce. 
  •  For a shortcut, you can often purchase a bag of chopped escarole.
  •  Escarole is a traditionally used in Italian wedding soup, and it can also be added to stews, salads, and
    pasta dishes, like the one below. 
The classic Tuscan pairing of beans and greens meets sausage and pasta for nourishing comfort food the whole family will enjoy.Save
  • For starters, it’s a textural thing. When cooked, the chopped escarole doesn’t get slimy, slippery, or stringy, as some greens do. 
  • Escarole is tender but maintains its integrity. Plus, it isn’t fibrous, and you can add a lot without it dominating the recipe. I’ve added up to two pounds to the following recipe, and nobody thought it was too much!
  • The taste when cooked is less bitter and intense than other heartier greens. Again, it won’t dominate but it won’t get totally lost either.
  • When cooked, escarole turns semi-translucent, which adds pretty hues to soups and stews and may be somewhat more appealing to discerning kids.

Helpful tip: Because we add a lot of escarole in this recipe, a big pan or pot is helpful. One time, I prepared this dish in a 12-inch skillet with a pound and a half of chopped escarole. Once the escarole cooked down, I was in good shape, until I added the pasta. At that point, I got the job done with two large spoons and minimal overflow. For the best stirring experience, however, I recommend a pan with a 14-inch diameter or a 6-quart Dutch oven. 

The classic Tuscan pairing of beans and greens meets sausage and pasta for nourishing comfort food the whole family will enjoy.Save

Pasta with Escarole, Sausage, and Beans

The classic Tuscan pairing of beans and greens meets sausage and pasta for nourishing comfort food the whole family will enjoy. 
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 4 generous servings (4-6 really)

Ingredients
 

  • 8 ounces penne or short, spiral, or tubular pasta (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 pound Italian sausage (hot or sweet, turkey or pork) or Homemade Sausage
  • 2 tablespoons (28ml) olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (15-ounce) packages fresh chopped escarole* (1½ – 2 lbs escarole)
  • 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, undrained
  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) red wine vinegar (could sub lemon juice)
  • ½ cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Optional for serving: ¼ – ⅓ cup fresh, chopped parsley and/or additional Parmesan for sprinkling, additional red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta when done and set aside. Heat a large (14-inch) pan or Dutch oven over medium high. (Tip: If using the Homemade Sausage option, which is leaner than traditional sausage, lightly coat the skillet with oil before sautéing to avoid sticking.)
  2. Add the sausage, and cook, breaking it up as you go, for 5-7 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove the sausage to a plate. Drain excess grease from the pan, if needed.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, and half of the escarole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then cook, stirring to wilt, for 2-3 minutes. When wilted, add the remaining escarole and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring regularly, for another 2 minutes to wilt. Add the broth, undrained beans, and cooked sausage. Stir to combine and simmer for about 2 minutes.
  4. Stir in the pasta, red wine vinegar, Parmesan, and optional parsley. Stir to combine, and simmer for another 2 minutes or so. When you stir in the pasta, you can add the reserved pasta water, if desired (see notes).
  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan and chili flakes, if desired.

Notes

*The escarole: I most often find pre-chopped bags of escarole, which makes this meal especially easy to whip up. Some local stores also carry fresh heads, so use what’s available and looks the freshest. When using the 15-ounce bags, I typically use about two-thirds of the second bag and save the rest to add to a salad or soup another day. If starting with the whole head, I discard the center stalk as it can be tough and more bitter than the leaves. You may wish to also discard the outer leaves, as they can be more bitter and less tender than the inner leaves.
I have served this dish two ways – with and without the addition of the pasta water. The broth alone adds sufficient moisture and a subtle hint of soupiness. If you’d like this dish to have even more broth to slurp, add the reserved cooking water, as desired. Especially in this case, for best flavor, I do recommend cooking the pasta in well salted water. Either way, I taste and season accordingly at the end. 
Forget to reserve the pasta water? You may use additional chicken broth instead. The consistency is thinner, but you could do the same if you accidently drain the beans.
Options with the beans: Butter beans are a lovely alternative to the cannellini beans, but because they are larger, you may want to use a second can to really notice their presence. In this case, simply add the liquid from one can and drain the other.
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