My friend Anna got married this summer and Anna’s taste is well…perfection. Not only was her wedding well designed and beautiful but even her bachelorette weekend was classy.
Well, I should say the location was classy (Hamptons). We the guests, were not (believe we went through 8 cases of White Claw that weekend).
A few of us spent the night before in NYC. We had an intimate dinner at the most amazing Italian restaurant, Supper, in the East Village.
Thankfully some of my friends like to order the way I do (we’ll take one of everything) so there was no shortage of pasta and fresh cheese to go around.
But the one dish I will never forget– was the free garlic white beans they served with bread.
Enter: my inspiration for today’s recipe.
At this point you’re thinking “It’s Italian month and you’re serving me beans? BEANS. Like the more you eat the more you…you know…toot. BEANS?!”
Yes, beans. They are good and good for you.
Fun fact: if you soak your beans you get rid of the nasties that make you gassy. Wanna know why? IDK Google it I forgot. But it works so I’m going with it.
Beans are weird – most of us eat them from a can – and why not? It’s so easy and readily available. You may also notice that canned beans are a little mushy and can kind of fall apart on you if you’re cooking them in a dish.
But dried beans…are perfection. You can cook them exactly how you like with the flavors you like infused into every little bean.
I’ve been eating these White Beans and Broccolini all week. It’s healthy, delicious and very filling.
The broccolini are so good and are a nice gateway vegetable for those who hate broccoli. The stems are tender and they are overall much more pleasant to eat.
Of course I’m going to tell you to eat this White Beans with Broccolini with crusty bread because the white beans produce a flavorful broth that must be fully consumed.
It’s easy to leave out the Parm if you wanna go full vegan with this one. But if you’re including it, use the rindas well as the cheese in this dish.
Make it and tell me how much you love beans afterward.
White Beans and Broccolini
(Start making 16 hours before you want White Beans and Broccolini)
The night before (or at least 8 hours) let your beans soak in cold water.
Two hours before you want to make this dish, take a pot and heat up 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add your onion and cook until translucent. Add 6 garlic cloves that have been smashed. Add the soaked beans, bay leaves, Parm rind and pinch of salt. Then cover everything with water so you have 2 inches of water over your beans.
Partially cover with a lid and let simmer for 1.5 hours. If at any point you need to add more liquid, do so 1/2 cup at a time. You want these to be simmering, not dry. Once done, you can remove the Parm rind and the garlic cloves (if you wish).
Once the beans are almost done, heat up a large pan and pour in 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Then add the broccolini stalks and cook so they get some brown color along the edges, about 5 minutes.
Remove the broccoli and add the last remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil over low-medium heat. Add 4 remaining chopped cloves of garlic, anchovy paste and lemon zest. Pour in the beans, which at this point will have created a deliciously flavorful broth. Add parmesan, red pepper flakes, parsley and salt to taste. Add back in broccolini and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Squeeze lemon juice over the top.
Serve with crusty bread or all on it’s own.
Danielle
