White Beans With Sage Garlic And Fennel Recipes

CREAMY WHITE BEAN AND FENNEL CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the fennel. Cut it in half lengthwise and slice it crosswise, about 1/4-inch thick (reserve about 1/4 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds). Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add the sliced fennel, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but still retaining a little bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour 1 can white beans and its liquid into a blender. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil and purée until smooth. Drain and rinse the remaining can of beans and transfer it to the skillet along with the bean purée. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Mix the panko with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly over the fennel-white bean mixture.
• Bake until bubbly and lightly golden on top, about 15 minutes. Broil until topping is browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes, if desired. Top with reserved fennel fronds and serve.

TUSCAN WHITE BEANS WITH SAGE

Steps:

• Saute the onion, garlic, and carrots in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add in the sage, cook until aromatic.
• Add the can of tomatoes, heat through.
• Add the white beans, return to a simmer, and simmer as long as you like (the longer, the yummier, honestly!).
• Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice.
• This dish holds up well to slight modifications. I have put in a stalk of celery, diced, with the onions and carrots. I have added a little dried rosemary with the white beans. All quite tasty. For omnivores, this dish is delicious with a few shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic served on top.

GARLICKY WHITE BEANS, SAGE AND ORECCHIETTE

Steps:

• Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is tender.
• Cut fresh sage leaves into fine shreds; peel and mince garlic, chop parsley. Rinse and drain canned beans.
• Heat olive oil in a medium size saucepan. Add garlic and sage and cook for 10 seconds. Add wine and cook until evaporated, about a minute. Add beans, cover and simmer until heated through: 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm, covered, off heat, until pasta is done.
• Drain pasta and return it to the pot, off heat. Stir in bean mixture, toss well and serve immediately garnished with raw peppers. Pass cheese separately.

WHITE BEANS WITH SAGE, GARLIC AND FENNEL

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven over medium, heat 3 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the fennel, onion, garlic, chopped sage, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes and the beans. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, for 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, line a plate with paper towels. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the sage leaves and cook, flipping the leaves once, until the edges begin to curl, about 1 minute. Transfer to the prepared pate; reserve the oil.
• Transfer the beans to a serving bowl, then drizzle with the sage oil. Coarsely crumble the sage leaves over the beans. Top with Parmesan.

WHITE BEANS WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Soak overnight in 4 cups water: 1 cup dried white beans (cannellini, white runner, Great Northern, navy, and so on).
• Drain and transfer to a heavy pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and skim off any foam. Simmer gently for 2 hours or so, until the beans are tender. Add more water if necessary during the cooking. Season to taste with: Salt.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet, warm over low heat: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
• Add: 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped rosemary leaves.
• Cook just until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Stir into the beans, taste for salt, and adjust as needed. Let the dish sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry.
• Variation
• Leaves of either sage or winter or summer savory are delicious substitutes for rosemary.