Escarole with beans in a pan, a delicious and easy side dish, main course, or single dish to prepare in a few minutes. The escarole is not boiled for the recipe but braised in a pan. I used to boil it every time, losing the best in the cooking water, how good is the braised escarole in a pan with garlic, oil, and chili pepper, nothing else is needed to make it special, actually yes, in this case with beans it becomes superb. Escarole with borlotti beans is a traditional dish of Calabrian cuisine, a humble dish that encapsulates all the goodness of country life, when these ingredients were easily available, today you have to increasingly search for these somewhat forgotten dishes, but surely rediscovered, loved, and appreciated, so let’s prepare it together.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients for Beans with Escarole in a Pan
- 2 heads smooth escarole
- 1 cup pre-cooked borlotti beans
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 chili pepper
- to taste olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools to Prepare Escarole with Beans in a Pan
- 1 Colander
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pan
Steps for Preparing Beans with Escarole
Thoroughly wash the escarole in the sink under running water, leaf by leaf. Let it drain. Set aside the more tender heart.
In a pan, add olive oil, minced garlic, and chili pepper, heat slightly and add the older leaves of the escarole, cut in half, add a little salt and half a glass of water, and start cooking over low heat with a lid.
After 5 minutes, give it a good stir to wilt the escarole in the pan, continue cooking for another 2 minutes, then add the more tender leaves, also cut in half. Continue cooking for another 5-8 minutes until the escarole is tender.
Set the escarole aside, and in the same pan add another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, with garlic and chili pepper, it’s also fine to use the one previously used for the escarole, then add the drained beans, a little salt, and let it flavor for a few minutes, only then add the escarole, and let everything flavor together for a couple more minutes.
At this point, we are ready to serve our delicious beans with escarole, accompanied by some croutons they will be the perfect dish for a family lunch.
