The general consensus when I surveyed you all for what kind of recipes you're looking for was PASTA. One thing to note--I am not playing around when I say that you should pat your drained and rinsed white beans dry with a paper towel. You're going to have a whole lot of oil splattering in the pan if you don't and I am not liable! You can sub chickpeas, but I've been really into white beans lately. When it comes to getting the crispiest mushrooms, you HAVE to let them cook undisturbed. This way, they'll get a nice crust from the hot pan--trust!

Crispy White Bean and Mushroom Pasta with Kale

Servings
4
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
Total Time
30 min

Equipment

Ingredients

7 tablespoons olive or canola oil, divided

12 ounces mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped (I used shiitake, maitake, and oyster)

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

2 large garlic cloves, smashed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15 ounce) can white beans, drained, rinsed and patted dry on a layer of paper towels

2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)

12 ounces pasta noodle of choice (I used thick spaghetti)

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 bunch lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chiffonade

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Instructions

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, thyme sprigs (if using), and garlic cloves and cook undisturbed until mushrooms are golden brown, 4 minutes. Mix around and cook until mushrooms have shrunk and all sides are golden brown, another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel.

In the same skillet, heat 2 more tablespoon oil. Add white beans (they might splatter at first, so add with caution) and rosemary sprigs (if using), and cook until golden brown, 4 minutes. It's ok if their skins rub off the bean--as long as everything is nice and crispy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook noodle to al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water and drain.

In the same cast iron, reduce heat to medium low and heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook shallot until softened, 1 minute. Add cream, cup pasta water, lemon zest and juice. Add pasta and toss to coat. Add butter and kale. Cook until kale is wilted, 5 minutes (you may need to add more pasta water--the sauce should look smooth and glossy). Add Parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms and beans and cook until warmed through, 3 minutes. Top with more Parm and serve immediately.