Orecchiette With Bacony Collards & Cannellini Beans

Name: Orecchiette With Bacony Collards & Cannellini Beans
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 ounce (1 1/2 cups) orecchiette (or another short dry pasta, like macaroni or penne); 4 cup chicken or vegetable stock or water, divided; 4 slices (6 ounces) thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 3 garlic cloves; 1 pound collard greens (about 2 small bunches); 1 (15.5-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on your spice tolerance; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 ounce Parmesan or pecorino, finely grated (about 1 cup), plus more to serve; 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted and salted both work)

Instructions

Tough collard greens cook down in garlicky bacon fat, then simmer in broth or water until totally tender and silky—the ideal companion for creamy cannellini beans and chewy pasta. Use any hearty green here, like kale, escarole, or carrot tops. And feel free to swap out the bacon for turkey or vegan bacon if you prefer; just add a bit more oil or butter to compensate. This one-pot pasta also has a trick up its sleeve: The pasta is soaked while we prepare everything else, so it quickly cooks to al dente in the same pot as the greens. Shorter shapes, like orecchiette and macaroni, work best with this method, but if all you have are longer shapes, just snap them into one-inch pieces. Only have tender greens? They melt down in less time and with less cooking liquid. Try Ditalini With Tender Herbs, Chickpeas & Yogurt. And read more about this greens-beans-pasta technique here, so you have the confidence to take it off-script.

Updated at: Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:18:17 GMT