Pasta With Beans and Greens Recipe

1. Prepare the base

Start by heating the olive oil in a large straight-sided sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and, if using, the anchovy fillets. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic turns lightly golden and the anchovies dissolve, creating a deeply flavorful base.

2. Add wine and spices

Next, sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and pour in the white wine. Stir them around for about 30 seconds, allowing the wine to emulsify with the olive oil, which enhances the sauce's depth of flavor.

3. Add beans and stock

Add the beans along with their cooking liquid or stock to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to crush some of the beans against the side of the pan. This helps to create a creamy, saucy consistency. Season with a pinch of salt and let the mixture simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Cook pasta

While the beans are simmering, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook it for about 3 minutes less than the package directions suggest, as it will finish cooking in the sauce. Meanwhile, add the prepared kale to the simmering beans and stir it in, allowing it to wilt and meld with the sauce.

5. Combine pasta and sauce

Using a spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the pasta to the pan with the beans and kale. Add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water to the pan, and cook everything together for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring and tossing the pasta to ensure it is well coated with the sauce. The starchy pasta water will help the sauce cling to the noodles beautifully. The sauce should still be loose enough to pool around the edges.

6. Finish with cheese

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in half of the grated Pecorino Romano cheese, mixing until it melts into the sauce and adds a rich, savory flavor. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.

7. Serve

Serve the pasta immediately, with the remaining grated cheese on the side for sprinkling. Enjoy this hearty and satisfying dish, knowing you’ve brought together simple ingredients into something truly special.