My nighttime routine hasn’t changed much since early 2019: Crawl into bed (around 9 p.m. these days), snuggle up to Rookie and peruse Food52’s YouTube channel.
I’ve moved on from viewing Bon Appétit videos, at least for the time being. They’re just not what they used to be – and that’s OK. Fortunately, two of my favorite Test Kitchen stars now have their own Food52 series: Off-Script with Sohla and Sweet Heat with Rick Martinez.
As soon as I watched Sohla turn any green, bean and pasta into dinner, I craved a bowl. So I decided to recreate the dish, largely using ingredients on hand (including smoked lardons from The Baconer, dried Italian butter beans from Iacopi Farms and misfits from Semolina Artisanal Pasta).
Oh my gosh. The combination of chewy bacon, silky greens and velvety beans is amazing. Just as Sohla says, “It’s super creamy, cheesy [and] rich, but still pretty light because it’s mostly vegetables.” If you’re in the mood for hearty yet healthy fare, prepare a pot of pasta with bacon, greens and Italian butter beans. Your belly will thank you.
Recipe adapted from Food52.
- ½ cup dried Italian butter beans
- 5 ounces conchiglie or other short pasta
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 pound cauliflower greens, ribs removed and leaves cut crosswise into ¼"-thick pieces
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Place beans in a medium bowl and cover with cold water; cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 12 hours. Drain well.
- Place pasta in a medium bowl and cover with 1½ cups cold water. Set aside and stir occasionally to ensure the pasta doesn't stick together.
- In a large pot, cook bacon and 2 tablespoons water on medium heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, 10-15 minutes. Remove bacon from pot and set aside on paper towels to drain.
- Remove all but ¼ cup of fat from pot. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add beans and 2½ cups water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add cauliflower greens, cover partially and continue simmering until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Add more water, if necessary, to keep beans submerged.
- Add pasta along with the soaking liquid and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add ¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, butter and ¾ of the cooked bacon; stir to combine.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining Pecorino Romano cheese and bacon.
