This is a stew full of flavor and texture: mellow cannellini beans, chewy bursts of sun-dried tomatoes, pungent rosemary. Served on al dente orecchiette and topped with the crusty baguette pieces spread with creamy goat cheese, it’s a complete meal. Karen Sgambati, a treasured and respected longtime staff member at Moosewood, loves full-flavored stews. We had Karen—and stew lovers everywhere—in mind when we created this cross between a rich rustic stew and a pasta. Truly something for everyone!
Time the prepping of the pasta and toasts to fit with when you’ll serve the meal. The stew is great both freshly cooked and made ahead and reheated.
Yields 6 cups stew
Serves 6
Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
2 or 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1½ cups vegetable stock
1½ cups water
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes or 3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1½ cups trimmed and cut green beans (1-inch lengths)
1 cup chopped kale leaves
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 baguette
½ to ¾ cup chèvre or other soft mild goat cheese
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups orecchiette
Olive oil
Making the stew: In a soup pot, heat the oil, add the onions, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and salt. When the onions have softened, add the celery and carrots and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water or stock if needed to prevent sticking. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, red pepper flakes, stock, water, tomatoes, and white beans. Simmer for about 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the green beans and kale. Cook until the green beans are tender-crisp and the kale is tender and limp but still bright green. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Season with salt to taste.
About 30 minutes before the meal will be served, prepare the goat cheese toasts: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Split the baguette in half lengthwise and then cut it (on a diagonal is nice) into the number of slices that will give each diner at least a couple of pieces. Arrange, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. When you’re ready to serve the stew, spread the chèvre on the toasted baguette slices.
Start the pasta about 20 minutes before you’re ready to serve the meal: Salt 1 quart water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain. In a bowl, toss the pasta with a little olive oil and set aside.
To serve the stew, divide the cooked pasta among large, individual bowls, ladle the stew over the pasta, and serve topped with Goat Cheese Toasts.
Walnut and Roasted Red Pepper Spread with crudités is a good appetizer to nibble on before this lavish stew.