Friday night beans, greens, and sausage
I probably make this every-other-Friday (at least). It’s easy enough to make after a long work day, but special enough for it to feel like a Friday. I almost always make my beans in the Instant Pot during the week– the magical device cooks up dried beans to perfection in 45 minutes or less (and no pre-soak!). Enjoy with red wine and crusty bread that’s rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. –Lesley
Which beans to use? So many beans work well here: Cannellini, Cranberry, Ayocote Morado, Mayocoba, and really whatever other variety suits your fancy. Take 'em from dried to cooked with our guide!
Featured bean: Cannellini
Other beans to try: Alubia, Flageolet, Baby Butter, Classic Flat White
Take 'em from dried to cooked with our guide!
The details
- Serves: 3-4
- Time: 25 minutes (plus bean cooking)
- Cookware: large skillet, large pot, bean cooking vessel of your choice
What you’ll need
- 1 lb dried beans, cooked according to our guide, strained
- Coarse salt
- 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough stems
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ⅓ pound hot Italian sausage (if using link sausage, remove it from the casing)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving
Steps
Cook the sausage: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium. Crumble sausage into the skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown and cooked through, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Prepare the broccoli rabe: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Roughly chop broccoli rabe, add it to the pot, and cook for 3 minutes. Strain in a colander, run cold water over it, and once cool, squeeze out water and chop. In the same skillet you used for the sausage, add 1-2 tsp oil over medium heat (depending on how much fat remains from the sausage). Add broccoli rabe and a pinch of salt. Stir in sliced garlic and sauté until garlic is soft, 2-3 minutes.
Serve and enjoy: Fold broccoli rabe and sausage into the pot of beans. Serve in shallow bowls and top with grated cheese and pepper.
