Whole Wheat Pasta with Greens, Beans, Pancetta, and Garlic Bread Crumbs
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 23, 2012
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 large slices white sandwich bread (about 3 ounces), torn into quarters3 tablespoons olive oil 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)Table salt 3 ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces (about ½ cup)1 medium onion, diced small (about 1 cup)¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes 14 cups kale (loosely packed) or collard greens (1 to 1 ½ pounds), thick stems trimmed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces and rinsed, water still clinging to leaves1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed13 ¼ ounces whole wheat spaghetti 4 ounces fontina cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)Ground black pepper
Before You Begin
Prosciutto di Parma can be substituted for pancetta. If you can't find a 13.25-ounce package of Bionaturae, the winner of our tasting, use 3/4 pound of a whole wheat spaghetti of your choice.
Instructions
- Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and bread crumbs are dark golden brown, about 1 minute. Season bread crumbs with salt, transfer to small serving bowl, and set aside. Wipe out pan with paper towels.
- Heat remaining tablespoon oil in now-empty pan over medium-high heat, add pancetta, and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to small bowl.
- Add onion to pan; cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add half of greens to pan; using tongs, toss occasionally, until starting to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add remaining greens, broth, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; cover (pan will be very full); increase heat to high and bring to strong simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, tossing occasionally, until greens are tender, about 15 minutes (mixture will be somewhat soupy). Stir in beans and pancetta.
- Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add spaghetti and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is just shy of al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add greens mixture to pasta, set over medium-high heat, and toss to combine. Cook until pasta absorbs most of liquid, about 2 minutes. Add fontina; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, passing garlic bread crumbs separately.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
2 large slices white sandwich bread (about 3 ounces), torn into quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
Table salt
3 ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces (about ½ cup)
1 medium onion, diced small (about 1 cup)
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
14 cups kale (loosely packed) or collard greens (1 to 1 ½ pounds), thick stems trimmed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces and rinsed, water still clinging to leaves
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
13 ¼ ounces whole wheat spaghetti
4 ounces fontina cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
Ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 large slices white sandwich bread (about 3 ounces), torn into quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
Table salt
3 ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces (about ½ cup)
1 medium onion, diced small (about 1 cup)
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
14 cups kale (loosely packed) or collard greens (1 to 1 ½ pounds), thick stems trimmed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces and rinsed, water still clinging to leaves
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
13 ¼ ounces whole wheat spaghetti
4 ounces fontina cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
Ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 large slices white sandwich bread (about 3 ounces), torn into quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
Table salt
3 ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces (about ½ cup)
1 medium onion, diced small (about 1 cup)
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
14 cups kale (loosely packed) or collard greens (1 to 1 ½ pounds), thick stems trimmed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces and rinsed, water still clinging to leaves
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
13 ¼ ounces whole wheat spaghetti
4 ounces fontina cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
Ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To transform these humble ingredients into a full-flavored whole-wheat pasta recipe quickly and easily, we restricted our choice of greens to kale and collard greens, which only require a quick braise, allowing us to cook the greens in a single batch while adding the flavors of aromatic onions, garlic, spicy red pepper flakes, and chicken broth at the same time. The greens, beans, and sauce had to simmer with the pasta for just a few minutes to create a gutsy, harmonious flavor.
Before You Begin
Prosciutto di Parma can be substituted for pancetta. If you can't find a 13.25-ounce package of Bionaturae, the winner of our tasting, use 3/4 pound of a whole wheat spaghetti of your choice.
Instructions
- Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and bread crumbs are dark golden brown, about 1 minute. Season bread crumbs with salt, transfer to small serving bowl, and set aside. Wipe out pan with paper towels.
- Heat remaining tablespoon oil in now-empty pan over medium-high heat, add pancetta, and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to small bowl.
- Add onion to pan; cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add half of greens to pan; using tongs, toss occasionally, until starting to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add remaining greens, broth, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; cover (pan will be very full); increase heat to high and bring to strong simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, tossing occasionally, until greens are tender, about 15 minutes (mixture will be somewhat soupy). Stir in beans and pancetta.
- Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add spaghetti and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is just shy of al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add greens mixture to pasta, set over medium-high heat, and toss to combine. Cook until pasta absorbs most of liquid, about 2 minutes. Add fontina; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, passing garlic bread crumbs separately.
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