About the recipe

Here's a variation of a classic staple dish that was featured in our cookbook. This is a great way to get a bunch of winter greens and fiber into your diet. It's also the best for a cool evening with warm bread to do some sopping. Once again I'll list the pancetta as optional although it's hard for me to ever say no.

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
6oz. pancetta or guanciale, diced (optional)
1 bunch of chopped greens like kale or chard
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 Cup dried Etto Ditalini pasta
1 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt and pepper
Grated parmesan or pecorino romano, for serving
Bread crumbs - use a cuisinart to buzz up a bunch of crostini mixed with cheese.
Sliced bread, for the side

Ditalini bag

Preparation

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add pancetta or guanciale to the pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook until it starts to sizzle and add the onions and cook until beginning to brown. Add tomato paste, Italian seasoning and cook another few minutes to build up the flavor.
Add the broth along with the pasta, and beans. Bring pot to a simmer and cook until pasta is al dente while adding the chopped greens, adding more liquid as needed to maintain a relatively saucey consistency. About 8-10 minutes. You can also add par cooked pasta.
Portion into bowls and garnish with cheesy breadcrumb mixture and olive oil. Serve with bread and enjoy!