Braised Beans and Spinach Comfort Food at Its Best
Something must be said about comfort food; these braised beans and spinach are about as comfortable as possible. I was still determining where this recipe was going, but I wanted to use ingredients I happened to have in the house.
It's a meal you can prepare in 30 minutes, and I can't wait to eat leftovers for lunch today when I know it will be even better. So, let's look at the ingredients and talk about substitutions.
Guanciale
Guanciale, pronounced gwaan·chaa·lei comes from a pig's jowl (cheek). It is the key ingredient to classic Italian dishes like bucatini all'amatriciana and spaghetti alla carbonara.
I have some in my refrigerator because I recently made bucatini all'amatriciana after watching the Rome episode of Searching for Italy with Stanley Tucci on CNN. I'll post that recipe soon and write another post about this incredible product.
It is a cured meat product seasoned with salt, sugar, and pepper, and depending on where it is being made, different herbs, including rosemary, garlic, and sage.
You can substitute pancetta or bacon for this dish, but you will get a different intense flavor than you will with guanciale. It may not be easy to find unless you have an excellent Italian market in your area, but you can order it online from several sources, including Amazon.
Cranberry Beans
Another item not found in every supermarket, but they should be. I used cranberry beans because I had them in my pantry, and I love using them for dishes like Pasta e Fagioli.
They are very similar to pinto beans in size but have a milder flavor. If you can't find cranberry beans, I would substitute cannellini beans, also called white kidney beans. You could also try Great Northern Beans.
Please check this page if you need help with your bean conversions.
Spinach
Again, I used what I had on hand, but if you were in Italy, they would make a dish similar to this with escarole. You can also substitute kale or Swiss chard.
📖 Recipe
Braised Beans and Spinach with Pecorino Romano Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 ounces guanciale finely diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 leek trimed, sliced thin, washed
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- red pepper flakes to taste
- 8 ounces baby spinach washed
- 30 ounces cranberry beans 2 - 15 ounce cans
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 lemon cut in half, pits removed
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese more for serving
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients.
- Heat a medium sized soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the guanciale and cook for about 5 minutes until golden but do not burn.3 ounces guanciale
- Add the onion and leek and saute for another 5 minutes.1 small yellow onion, 1 leek
- Add the garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes being sure to stir so the garlic doesn't burn.1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 4 cloves garlic, red pepper flakes
- Add the spinach one handful at a time while stirring. When the first handful of spinach wilts, add another. Continue until all the spinch is in the pan and wilted.8 ounces baby spinach
- Add the carnberry beans and chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil. As soon as the broth comes to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 8 minutes. While the broth is simmering add some freshly ground pepper.30 ounces cranberry beans, 2 cups chicken stock, salt and pepper
- Normally I would say season with salt too but the guanciale is very salty and you'll be adding Pecorino cheese, also very salty. So wait until the end when you taste and adjust seasoning. The Pecorino Romano cheese will also give the broth a wonderful creaminess.¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
- To thicken the braise, use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the beans. This is optional.
- Turn off the heat and add the juice from the lemon halves. Stir and add the Pecorino cheese. Stir again.1 lemon
- Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt and/or pepper if needed.salt and pepper
- Serve in bowls with some pepper flakes on the side for those who want to spice it up more.
Some of My Favorite Pork Recipes
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