Name: Slow-Cooker Escarole and White Bean Sauce
Total time: 9 h
Ingredients: 4 slices bacon , chopped; 1 onion , chopped fine; 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried; 5 cups chicken broth; 8 ounces (1 1/4 cups) dried cannellini beans , picked over and rinsed; 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained; 1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional); Salt and pepper; 1/2 head escarole , chopped coarse (8 cups); 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Why This Recipe Works

The moist cooking environment of the slow cooker turns beans perfectly creamy and tender, so we set about using the slow cooker to create a sauce that paid homage to the classic dish of beans, greens, and pasta. Cannellini beans offered an earthy flavor and ultracreamy texture after simmering in chicken broth for several hours. Borrowing a trick used in many stew recipes, we mashed some of the beans to help thicken the sauce. For the greens, we opted for escarole, which we chopped and added to the slow cooker for the last 20 minutes of cooking so it would wilt but retain its color. Diced tomatoes and dried thyme, cooked with the beans, contributed brightness and woodsy notes, and a Parmesan cheese rind (another trick used in stews and sauces) offered complexity and bolstered the flavor of our sauce—and made use of an often-overlooked byproduct of pasta night. For an easy garnish, we stirred crispy bacon pieces into the finished sauce for some crunch and salty, savory bites.

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined bowl; set aside.

Add onion to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup broth, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir remaining 4 cups broth, beans, tomatoes, Parmesan rind (if using), ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 8 to 9 hours on high.

Discard Parmesan rind, if using. Transfer 1 cup of bean-tomato mixture to separate bowl and mash with potato masher until mostly smooth. Stir escarole and mashed bean mixture into slow cooker, cover, and cook on high until escarole is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in bacon and oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.