Beans and Greens Sausage Pasta
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
35 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
871 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Beans and Greens Sausage Pasta
Description
Beans and Greens Sausage Pasta uses rigatoni as a base for a filling sauce featuring fennel sausage, escarole, and cannellini beans. The sausage is sautéed and browned before being set aside. Garlic and red pepper flakes are then cooked in olive oil, followed by the addition of escarole and a small amount of water to wilt the greens. White wine reduces to intensify flavor before the beans are added, with half roughly mashed to provide a creamy texture that binds the ingredients. The sauce incorporates reserved pasta water to maintain moisture and is finished with pecorino romano cheese and fresh Italian parsley for brightness.
The dish balances the savory fennel sausage and mildly bitter escarole, contrasted by the softness of cannellini beans and sharp cheese. The pasta provides a sturdy texture that holds the sauce well, while the red pepper flakes lend a subtle heat. Cooking pasta to just under al dente ensures it finishes cooking alongside the sauce for optimal texture consistency.
This pasta suits dinner or lunch, offering a filling main course rich in flavor and varied textures. It pairs well with crusty bread or a simple green salad to round out the meal. Leftovers retain their quality when refrigerated and can be reheated gently.
Adjustments include doubling spinach if escarole isn't available, substituting fennel seeds for sausage to maintain its distinctive flavor, and omitting wine if needed by compensating with pasta water. Always keep some pasta water reserved to adjust sauce moisture. Leftovers can be stored up to three days and reheated in a microwave.
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 1/2 pounds fennel sausage see notes, bulk
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed, hot
- 10 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 bunch escarole rinsed and chopped
- 1 cup white wine dry
- 2 ounce cans cannellini beans drained
- 3 cups water will most likely not need all of it, reserved pasta water
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1/2 cup pecorino romano grated
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley minced, Italian
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- In a very large pan, saute the sausage in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Break up the sausage with the back of a wooden spoon. Once brown and cooked through (about 7 minutes) remove the sausage to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm, and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil and garlic to the pan and cook the garlic until golden (about 2 minutes) then add in the red pepper flakes and escarole along with a 1/4 cup of water. Add a pinch of salt to the escarole and saute for 3 minutes.
- Add the wine and turn heat to medium-high. Reduce the liquid by half (about 2-3 minutes) then turn the heat down to medium once more. At this time begin boiling the pasta and cook to 1 minute less than al dente.
- Add the beans to the pan and saute with the escarole. Mash roughly half of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon. Add a couple of ladles of pasta water to keep everything moist.
- A few minutes before the pasta is ready add the sausage back to the pan along with 1 cup of pasta water and mix well.
- Add the pasta to the pan and continue to cook stirring frequently. Cook the pasta right until it reaches al dente then add the spinach and mix together. Cover the pan tightly then turn off the heat. The residual heat will wilt the spinach in roughly 2 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add the Pecorino and parsley and toss to combine. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper levels. If the pasta is at all dry add more of the reserved pasta water to get the perfect consistency. Serve with more grated Pecorino. Enjoy!
Notes
- If escarole is unavailable, you can double the amount of spinach as a substitute.
- To replicate fennel sausage flavor without the sausage, add 1-2 teaspoons of fennel seeds during the sausage cooking step.
- The white wine in the recipe can be omitted; use additional pasta water to maintain sauce consistency.
- Reserve some pasta water before draining to adjust moisture levels if the pasta dries out before serving.
- Leftover pasta stores well in the refrigerator for up to three days and reheats effectively in the microwave.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 871 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 871kcal | 44% |
| Carbohydrates | 61.5g | 21% |
| Protein | 35.3g | 71% |
| Fat | 52g | 80% |
| Saturated Fat | 13.7g | 69% |
| Cholesterol | 100mg | 33% |
| Sodium | 949mg | 40% |
| Potassium | 717mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 3.3g | 7% |
| Calcium | 142mg | 14% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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