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White Bean & Mushroom Ragout

Beans and mushrooms are a great combo and quintessentially Italian. Experiment with different varieties and colors of beans.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

1

1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1

1/2 cups finely chopped onions

2

garlic cloves, minced

1

teaspoon dried thyme, rosemary, or sage

1

teaspoon ground fennel seeds (optional)

10

ounces moonlight or cremini mushrooms

1

/4 cup dry red or white wine

1

15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained

1

28-ounce can of diced tomatoes

1

/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil

Salt and pepper

Polenta (page 184)

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a saucepan on medium heat, warm the oil and add the onions, garlic, herbs, and fennel. Sprinkle lightly with salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are softened and starting to brown. While the onions cook, rinse and quarter the mushrooms (about 3 cups).

    Step 2

    When the onions are soft, stir in the mushrooms and wine, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and parsley, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, until hot and juicy, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

    Step 3

    While the ragout simmers, prepare the Polenta.

    Step 4

    Serve the ragout on the Polenta and sprinkle with cheese if you like.

  2. Serving & menu ideas

    Step 5

    You could serve the ragout on orzo or any small pasta or in a bowl with plenty of crusty bread. A crisp green salad is a welcome counterpoint to the soft ragout and polenta. How about one of the easy Fruit & Cheese Plates (page 260) for dessert?

Cover of the cookbook Moosewood Simple Suppers with a red floral motif.
From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.