[Ferd]

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.