The pasta is shaped like little ears also referred to as little cups or hats and perfect for hugging all the flavors in a soup or thicker pasta sauces like this one with white beans.
This dish can be made like a soup or thicker sauce depending on the amount of liquid you add, either way, it's an amazing Italian bowl of pasta, greens, beans, and tomato sauce.
The entire meal can be made all vegetarian or with added cooked meats (for all those meat lovers out there), growing up in the 1960s when money was tight mom made this without meat and with greens from the garden preferably escarole, but again it's versatile so adapt the recipe to what your family likes.
Fresh escarole is what we grew up on, however, spinach is a great addition if you can't find escarole and if you have another green you grew up on add that to the pot!
Although grandma made everything from scratch including the use of white dried beans, you can use canned everything for a quick version.
You may have tried Grandma's Escarole and Beans recipe or our delicious Wagon Wheels with Peas, both economical meals to feed a large family inexpensively.
If you're looking for easy weeknight meals to stretch a budget, this is one that everyone loves, it's super easy to make and with all simple pantry ingredients.
Scroll down to get this easily printable recipe with step-by-step instructions.
Step by Step
- Saute the garlic in oil
- Add the tomato paste and stir to combine
- Stir in all the herbs, spices, liquids, and beans (meats that are cooking you may be using)
- Cook for around 45 minutes on a low simmer
- Add in the fresh spinach until it wilts or cooked other greens you prefer
- Cook the orecchiette to package instructions drain and add to the pot(add more water for soup, none for a thicker sauce)
- Serve with grated cheese on top, red pepper flakes, chopped fresh basil and parsley if desired
Other Substitutions and Sauce Additions
- any kind of small pasta can be used in place of orecchiette
- spinach, escarole, swiss chard, and kale can be added
- boneless cooked meats cubed IE chicken, pork, beef, ground beef, veal, or lamb
- boiled and cooked seafood
- Tip: always sauteed the meats using first to make sure they are flavored with garlic, salt, and pepper before adding them to the sauce
Pasta Suggestions
- ditalini
- baby bowties
- mostaccioli
- fusilli
- baby seashells
- elbows
- any other small pasta you prefer even broken spaghetti
Ingredients You Will Need(for exact measurements scroll down to the recipe card)
- pasta of your choice cooked to package instructions
- fresh tomatoes, or canned tomatoes (we recommend San Marzano or imported Italian tomatoes)
- white beans fresh or canned
- granulated garlic
- fresh garlic
- dried oregano
- fresh basil
- white wine. water or chicken broth
- salt, pepper
- Pecorino Romano cheese
- fresh parsley
- olive oil
- Optional Garnish: red pepper flakes and more Pecorino Romano cheese, Italian sausage or another meat you prefer (boneless chicken, pork, ground sirloin)
Tips
- cook any kind of pasta you like to package instructions
- freshly dried white beans instructions
- to save time use a jarred marinara sauce
- add cooked Italian sausage, small cooked meatballs, or pepperoni to the sauce
- to save time, air fry the sausage then slice it
- use a medley of vegetables and omit the meat for vegetarian
- add zucchini and peppers for a change of flavors in the sauce
- for a healthier version use turkey sausage, wheat, or a low carb pasta of your choice
- use all fresh herbs and tomatoes when possible for the best results
- always use Pecorino Romano freshly grated
- this dish tastes great topped with shredded melted mozzarella for a bit of a twist
- substitute chicken broth for the wine for a non-alcohol dish
Pin for Later
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Mom's Homemade Italian Sausage Recipe
Pasta and Broccoli Aioli
Homemade Orecchiette
Comfort Food
This dish back in the 1960s was a staple in our homes during a time when money was tight and grandma and mom would make it often changing it up by adding leftover meats or other vegetables from weeknight meals.
The meal will feed a large family economically and is very simple to make, and is fun for the kids to eat with our favorite shaped pasta.
If you love vintage recipes this is a great recipe to add to your collection.
Orecchiette Florentine with White Beans
Yield: 10
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M
This is orecchiette pasta has a rich tomato sauce with white beans and greens. in a hearty pasta bowl meal. The recipe has several options to add meat or keep it vegetarian.
Ingredients
- 2 cans of Great Northern White Beans (around 1 pound of dried beans if made from scratch)
- 1 cup white wine (for non-alcohol just use all water or broth
- 3 cups water or chicken broth (and more if the sauce gets too thick)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil and parsley each more for garnishing on top when serving
- 1 can 28 - ounce can whole, crushed, or use canned diced tomatoes (f for fresh use 2 pounds of plum tomatoes put through a food processor)
- 1 can of tomato paste (add water to the can to get all of the paste out and pour it into the pot)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste for heat is optional
- 2 cloves minced fine garlic
- 4 tables of extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups of fresh spinach or freshly boiled and cleaned drained escarole chopped
- 1 pound of boiled orecchiette pasta to package instructions drained
- Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons or more to taste of Pecorino Romano grated cheese extra cheese for the top, chopped fresh basil and parsley, and red pepper flakes if desired
- Optional for Meat Lovers: 1 pound of cooked ground beef or 2 boneless cooked chicken breasts cubed, or 1 pound cooked sliced Italian sausage or 2 cups of boneless cooked cubed pork
Instructions
- In a 5-quart saucepan add the olive oil and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and stir it into the oil with garlic.
- Stir in the tomatoes, wine, water, beans, all the seasonings and salt, pepper to taste, and meats cooked if used.
- Simmer for around 35 to 45 minutes until the sauce thickens a little ( the pasta will absorb the liquid and you may have to add more water or broth).
- Stir in the spinach washed and cleaned and cook until it wilts.
- Boil the pasta to package instructions to al denti then drain and add to the pot.
- If the sauce gets too thick add more water or chicken broth.
- This can be thick or like a soup either way it's delicious.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with grated cheese on top.
Notes
Tips
- cook any kind of pasta you like to package instructions
- freshly dried white beans instructions
- to save time use a jarred marinara sauce
- add cooked Italian sausage, small cooked meatballs, or pepperoni to the sauce
- to save time, air fry the sausage then slice it
- use a medley of vegetables and omit the meat for vegetarian
- add zucchini and peppers for a change of flavors in the sauce
- for a healthier version use turkey sausage, wheat, or a low carb pasta of your choice
- use all fresh herbs and tomatoes when possible for the best results
- always use Pecorino Romano freshly grated
- this dish tastes great topped with shredded melted mozzarella for a bit of a twist
- substitute chicken broth for the wine for a non-alcohol dish
Other Substitutions and Sauce Additions
- any kind of small pasta can be used
- spinach, escarole, swiss chard, and kale can be added
- boneless cooked meats cubed IE chicken, pork, beef, ground beef, veal, or lamb
- boiled and cooked seafood
- Tip: always sauteed the meats using first to make sure they are flavored with garlic, salt, and pepper before adding them to the sauce
Pin for Later
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