Herbed Bean Ragoût Recipes

BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large saucepan cook beans in boiling water for 30 minutes until tender. Drain.
• Heat oil, garlic and shallots over medium heat until golden. Add beans and stir until nicely coated with oil. Add chicken stock and simmer until 1/3 liquid remains, about 15 to 20 minutes Add butter and cook until thickened. Finish with grated lemon zest and parsley. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring cider to a boil and reduce by 3/4. Drizzle on plate.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

BEAN RAGU WITH LINGUINI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in saucepot over medium-high heat, then add the bacon and render 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf and onions. Partially cover and cook to soften the vegetables, 10 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, parsley and consomme, and simmer over low heat to combine the flavors and thicken a bit, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding stock or water to thin the sauce out if too thick.
• To serve, heat a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water just before draining pasta and add to the sauce. Drain the pasta and combine with bean ragu. Serve in shallow bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and top with grated cheese.
• Bring a few inches of water to a boil. Cut an "X" into the bottom of the tomatoes with a sharp pairing knife. Once the water comes to a boil, simmer the tomatoes for 1 minute. Place the tomatoes in an ice bath to cool and peel the skins away using the pairing knife.

HERBED BEAN RAGOûT

Steps:

• Cook haricots verts in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water, then drain.
• Add edamame to boiling water and cook 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water. If using edamame in pods, shell them and discard pods.
• Cook onion, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, salt, and pepper in oil in a 2- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add white beans and stock and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Add haricots verts and edamame and simmer, uncovered, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add butter, parsley, and chervil (if using) and stir gently until butter is melted. Discard bay leaf and rosemary sprigs.

BASIC VEGETABLE RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large hot saucepan heat oil. Add onion, 1/3 of garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and saute until onions and garlic are fragrant. Stir in zucchini, 1/3 garlic and tarragon, partially cover pan and cook for approximately 3 minutes or until zucchini has begun to soften. Stir in plum tomatoes with juice, 1/3 garlic and basil, partially cover pan and cook for 7 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender. Serve over rice. Top with Parmesan.

WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Add the garlic and cook one minute more.
• Add the tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, but it depends on what type of beans you use; canned will have some salt already.) Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes are slightly softened but still hold their shape, 3-5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Note that the sauce may have a strong vinegar flavor at first, but it will mellow out. Right before serving, stir in the fresh basil and mint. Transfer to serving dish, garnish with more fresh herbs if desired, and serve hot.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This dish can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

PASTA, SAUSAGE, AND BEAN RAGOûT

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 6 minutes. Add beef and sausage and sauté until brown, breaking up meats with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, broth, beans, 1 cup basil, oregano, and dried crushed red pepper. Simmer 15 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to bite, about 15 more minutes. Add spinach and cook just until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in 1/3 cup cheese and remaining 1/2 cup basil. Season ragout with salt and pepper; ladle into bowls. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

HERBED WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high. Add the sausage and brown until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
• Add the tomato paste and cumin to the pot. Cook, stirring, until dark golden, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, 8 cups water, salt, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the beans are tender, about 2 hours, adding more water if needed to make sure the beans remain submerged.
• When beans are tender, return the sausage to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into warm bowls and serve drizzled with more vinegar and olive oil.

RABBIT, CARROT, LEEK, AND GREEN BEAN RAGOûT

Steps:

• Remove fat, kidneys, and liver from rabbit if necessary. Pat rabbit dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a wide 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown rabbit in 2 batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer as browned to a plate. Add wine to pot and boil 30 seconds. Add broth and deglaze pot by boiling, scraping up brown bits. Mince and mash garlic with thyme and salt and stir into broth with bay leaf and rabbit. Simmer, covered, 40 minutes.
• While rabbit is simmering, quarter onions lengthwise, leaving enough of core intact to keep layers together. Soak leeks in a large bowl of water 10 minutes, agitating occasionally to dislodge any sand and letting sand sink to bottom of bowl. Lift leeks out of water.
• Scatter onions, leeks, carrots, and potatoes over and around rabbit and continue to simmer, covered, until rabbit and vegetables are tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
• When rabbit is almost done, cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes, and drain in a colander.
• Stir beans into ragout, then transfer rabbit and vegetables with a slotted spoon to a deep platter and keep warm. Boil cooking liquid until reduced to about 3/4 cup and whisk in remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter. Pour some of sauce over rabbit and vegetables and serve the rest on the side.