New dish and a new food item (well not new but new to me)
 

First of all I "discovered" the Great Northern bean a month or so ago. It has quickly moved up to near the top of my favorite bean list.


Some of you have probably been using this bean for a long time, so bear with my fascination please.

Anyway, my wife told me that Rachael Ray (Please don’t laugh) used the great Northern in a dish she did. And thought I should investigate….even if I can’t stand RR. (Not because of the initials either)

Sooooo I did investigate, I even tried the recipe below and it was WONDERFUL. We love it. It was awesome. I would recommend 2 things

If you like a little heat, this dish could benefit from a habanera pepper. Just get rid of the seeds and the white pith and you will be fine. Dice it up and toss it in and you will get a hint of heat, a lot of flavor.

Also, the recipe below leaves something out. Like with risotto, you should heat your chicken stock in a separate pot and add it as directed. However, I didn’t do that at all. I just added canned chicken stock right from the can a little at a time.

But here is the recipe. Enjoy.






Creamy Spaghetti and Beans
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007
See this recipe on air Monday Oct. 08 at 6:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: Wrap Yourself up in 30
Risotto meets pasta e fagioli in this Tuscan classic.


5 to 6 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound chunk pancetta chopped into small dice
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound spaghetti
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into a small dice
1 fresh bay leaf
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 (15-ounce) can Roman beans or small white beans (recommended: Goya brand)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine, eyeball it
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
A generous handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Place the stock in a sauce pot and warm it over medium heat then reduce to simmer.
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil and the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the pancetta to brown slightly. Next add the garlic and spaghetti and toast the noodles lightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions and carrots, bay and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Soften veggies a bit, 5 minutes. Add wine and allow it to be completely absorbed. Add beans then add a few ladles of stock and stir the pasta. Keep adding stock a few ladles at a time allowing liquids to be mostly absorbed before adding more, as if you were preparing a risotto. When liquids are absorbed and spaghetti is cooked to al dente, 12-15 minutes, stir in cheese. Adjust salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir another minute. Remove the bay and thyme stems. Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with lots of parsley.

I will have to try it sometime soon...

RACHEL RAY ROCKS (RRR) :)

I found out something about white beans.........they are loaded with more gas than pintos!!!

I just made white chili last week and let me tell ya, I'm still having the effects!! LOL!

Thankfully, but contrary to the opinions of others that will remain nameless, because of my surgery, the 'power' is gone........hahahaha.

Oh, but if I were a guy posting that, it would have been ok!!!



:D

Not in the least. :)

Discussions about gas to guys is not much different than when they talk about cars or sports.

THEY BRAG ABOUT IT!!! LOL!

Haha.....
I love white beans and Orzo pasta.Its awesome.You scoop it up like you
do rice and pour the beans over it.Season to taste and its wonderul.
There are some canned white beans called Blue Runner that are very
good if you are in a hurry.Don't forget to add some oil to the beans
and a bit of baking soda to escape the bloating.

I bet this recipe would be good with orzo.