Beans and greens

I first heard about beans and greens on a Podcast about cooking during lockdown. The woman who was presenting the podcast said this was one of her go-to recipes which she cooked over and over again.

It was not the first time I heard about the combination of beans and pasta and although personally I thought it is a strange combination, the number of people who recommended it was astonishing so I was thinking it is worth a try. Spoiler alert: all the recipes which sounded strange to me but were recommended  by lots of people turned out insanely delicious. This one included.

Ingredients:

• 140 g (1 1/2 cups) orecchiette (or another short dry pasta, like macaroni or penne)
• 1L (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock or water, divided
• 4 slices (170 g) thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves
• 450 g collard greens (about 2 small bunches)
• 1 (420 g) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, depending on your spice tolerance
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 30 g Parmesan or pecorino, finely grated (about 1 cup), plus more to serve
• 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted and salted both work)

Method:

• Put the pasta in a small bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock or water, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta isn’t clumping together. 
• Add the bacon to a medium Dutch oven along with 2 tablespoons of water. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat melts out of the bacon and the bacon grows brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. (If you’re using turkey bacon, add 1 tablespoon of any oil along with the water.)
• Meanwhile, smash, peel, and finely chop the garlic. Strip the collard leaves from the stems. Stack the leaves and cut lengthwise into four long sections. Stack the pieces and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick strips (you should have about 6 cups lightly packed). 
• Using a slotted spoon, scoop the bacon from the Dutch oven and transfer to a plate, leaving the fat behind. Add the garlic and cook until tender and aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. 
• Add the collards, the remaining 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock or water. Be careful with the salt, if you use chicken stock don't salt, if you use water now is the moment to add a big pinch of salt and black pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer. Add the beans and cook, partially covered, until the liquid has reduced to about 1 cup and the greens are tender and silky, 40 to 45 minutes. 
• Add the pasta along with the soaking liquid and simmer, stirring constantly, until the pasta is al dente, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the cheese, butter, and reserved bacon, and stir well to combine. Taste and add more salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if needed. 
• Divide the pasta among 4 bowls and garnish with more cheese.