​This is one of our favorite Meatless Monday dishes. So much flavor for so little effort! It’s an adaptation of a recipe I first saw on Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs. I rarely tweak anything Deb publishes, as she’s brilliant and always spot-on. Really, all I’ve done is add the beans for a little extra protein and fiber and tweaked the directions a bit. I also shrank the quantity for just the two of us. Technically, it serves three, but that just means someone gets a great lunch the next day!

I generally prefer to use dried beans that I cook myself because I have more control over the texture and sodium content. And because the linings of most cans these days contain BPA. Yuk. I’m no purist, though, and am happy enough to reach for the occasional can when it’s expedient. Recipes for dried beans always start with sorting and rinsing them. You might go through twenty pounds of beans before you find something that doesn’t belong. But keep sorting because eventually, you will. Commercial producers use sorting machines, and every once in a while a small stone or dirt clump sneaks through – even from the best of sources. Today I hit the jackpot and found two lumps of dirt. I used White Tepary beans this time. They’re really good, but tiny. I think next time I might go for a larger variety, maybe a navy or butterbean. Anyway, if you’re in a hurry and didn’t soak some beans last night, go ahead and substitute canned beans, or omit them altogether (either way, remember that your nutrition information will be different). You can skip to step three.

If you love broccoli rabe and garlic, you will love this dish. Never had broccoli rabe? This is the perfect way to try it for the first time!

You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

¾ cup dried white beans, or 1½ cups no-salt-added canned beans

½ onion

4 cloves garlic

¼ tsp + ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper, divided

½ tsp capers

½ tsp kosher salt

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ pound broccoli rabe

½ pound Gigli or other large pasta

¾ cup shredded fresh parmesan

Preparation:

1.) If you’re using dried beans, start their prep the night before. Sort through them, rinse, cover with a couple inches of water, and leave out to soak overnight. Be generous with the water, as the beans will expand quite a bit. I was glad I sorted because I found these two little bean-sized clumps of dirt.

2.) About an hour before dinner, bring the beans and their water to a boil. Add the half onion, 1 clove of garlic, and ⅛ tsp of the crushed red pepper. Boil for ten minutes, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook about 45 minutes more or until the beans are tender but still firm. Drain, discarding the onion and garlic clove, and set aside.

3.) Mince the remaining three cloves of garlic with the capers. In a small pot, combine the garlic/caper mixture with the remaining ¼ tsp crushed red pepper, the salt, and the olive oil. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until the garlic is soft and starting to turn golden. Keep warm.

4.) Trim and discard the thick stems of the broccoli rabe. Chop the rest of the rabe into pieces of about 1½ inches. Set aside.

5.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and set your timer for five minutes less than the package recommends for al dente. When your timer rings, add the broccoli rabe to the pot. Cook for the final five minutes. The broccoli rabe will shrink a lot.

6.) Drain the pasta and rabe, and return it to the now-empty pot. Add the cooked (or canned) beans, and pour the oil mixture over all. Toss to coat, and divide into three individual bowls. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the cheese over each serving. Serve immediately.