Beans and Greens

So many fresh tomatoes in my recipes have been making me feel guilty about all of you struggling with ice, snow and below zero windchills. This pasta with beans and greens should warm you up and give you energy to head back out into the cold. The recipe is easy to make and good for lunch if you are lucky enough to have leftovers.

Pasta with Greens and Beans

1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 1/2 cups water
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 small head escarole, well-washed and chopped
1 cup cooked ditalini pasta
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
ground black pepper


Note that the ditalini can be cooked as usual in a large pot of boiling water and drained and set aside while you follow the rest of the steps.

In a medium bowl using a potato masher, mash about half of the beans with the lemon juice and vinegar and set aside.

In a medium non-stick saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in 1/2 cup of water over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the escarole and 1 cup of water, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add both the mashed and whole beans and more water if the sauce is too thick. Stir in the ditalini and crushed red pepper and briefly heat through over medium-low heat, watching to avoid having the beans stick.