Collard Greens Italian Style
Bridget and I were at a farmer’s market and got some collard greens. We were going to make them Southern style and looked for someone selling smoked ham hocks. Instead we found Italian sausages and changed our plans. Broccoli rabe, sausage and pasta is a traditional Southern Italian dish. So why not mix-up Southern USA and Southern Italy. We replaced the broccoli rape with collards and just because we were being adventurous anyway we added some cannellini beans. Here’s how we did it.
Cleaning collard greens – Cut out and discard the stems. Stack the 2 remaining pieces. Cut the stack into 1 inch strips and wash them.
Put up a pot of water for pasta.
Cut the sausage into 1 inch pieces. Brown in oil in a large pot.
Remove sausage and add garlic and beans. Cook for a few minutes and remove. Deglaze the pot with the wine.
Add the greens to the pot with 1 cup of water. Cook covered on medium high until they wilt, about 10 minutes. Add the almost cooked pasta and ¼ cup of cheese and blend. Return the sausage and beans to the pot. Add more pasta water if necessary to keep it a little soupy and serve.
