This was adapted from a handwritten recipe from my mom. She actually added that you had to "defrost and drain" the spinach. Also, I changed the spinach to escarole because it holds up better.
I adapted this to reflect how I make it.
Ingredients
- Stick of pepperoni, skin removed and sliced in small bites (you may boil this in water and skim off the excess fat). May add more pepperoni if you'd like! I do!
- 2 cups or more of fresh, chopped kale, escarole or some hearty green leafy
- 1 can, 15 oz. cannelloni beans drained
- 32-48 ounces of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 to 1 cup hot/spicy V8 Juice or 2 Tablespoons tomato sauce or paste
- 6-12 cloves of peeled garlic
- 1/2 small onion chopped
- 2 Tablespoons of thyme, parsley or whatever you like
- Parmesan for garnish
My mother made this differently. Here's my take.
Boil the pepperoni then discard the water to get rid of fat. Add olive oil to a big pot and cook the garlic and onions for about 10 minutes. Add spices. Mix together the chicken soup broth, tomato sauce or V8, pepperoni, drained cannelloni beans in the pot. Simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes. When the beans are done, add the escarole (or whatever green you're using). Simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve with parmesan and some Italian bread.
