The simple supper · 35 minutes
Roast tomatoes, good bread, nothing more
Cherry tomatoes roasted until they collapse, spooned over thick toast with olive oil and a little ricotta. Supper in half an hour, most of it hands-off.
Cook once, eat well · 1 hour
The Sunday pot that becomes Monday lunch
White beans, sausage, and a whole bunch of greens simmered into one generous pot. Serve it with bread on Sunday and pack the rest for the week.
- Prep
- 20 minutes
- Cook
- 40 minutes
- Total
- 1 hour
- Serves
- 6
This is the pot that earns its keep. It feeds a table on Sunday, then turns into three lunches without any of them feeling like leftovers.
It is forgiving about vegetables. Swap the kale for whatever greens are wilting in the drawer, or add a handful of small pasta in the last ten minutes if you want something closer to a stew.
Method
Warm the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned in places, about 8 minutes. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the fat in the pot with a pinch of salt. Cook gently until soft and sweet, 10 minutes, then stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes for one minute more.
Stir in the tomato paste and let it darken for a minute. Return the sausage to the pot along with the beans, stock, and Parmesan rind. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the broth has thickened slightly. Mash a ladleful of beans against the side of the pot to give it body.
Add the greens in handfuls, stirring until they wilt. Cook 5 minutes more, then fish out the rind, add the lemon juice, and taste for salt and pepper.
Serve in wide bowls with Parmesan grated over and bread for the broth.
Notes
- For a vegetarian pot, skip the sausage and add a second can of beans and a teaspoon of smoked paprika with the fennel.
- It keeps for four days in the fridge and thickens as it sits. Loosen leftovers with a splash of water and warm gently; it reheats well in a lunchbox microwave.
