Tuscan Collard Greens with Pancetta & Cannellini
Southern comfort meets Italian soul in this hearty Tuscan Collard Greens with Beans side dish. Perfect for the holidays or casual family dinners.
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 241kcal
Equipment
- Kitchen sink or deep pan
Ingredients
Collard Greens Wash Solution
- ½ cup white distilled vinegar
- Water sink full
- 3 tablespoons salt
The vegetable recipe
- 2 lbs bunch collard greens** see notes about 1 ½ pounds cleaned, tough stems removed, leaves sliced into ribbons or torn into pieces (see notes)
- 4 oz pancetta diced (or substitute thick-cut bacon if you like)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 15 oz. cannellini beans 1 can drained and rinsed
- 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth for meatless
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar plus more for finishing
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional, for heat
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Grated Pecorino Romano cheese for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the pancetta – Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Build the flavor base – Stir in onion and garlic. Cook until softened and fragrant.
- Add the greens – Toss in the collard pieces or ribbons. They’ll look like a mountain, but they wilt quickly. Stir until the leaves start to soften.
- Simmer gently – Pour in the broth, add red pepper flakes, and season with salt and black pepper. Cover partially and let simmer for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the collards are tender.
- Finish with beans – Stir in the cannellini beans and cook another 5 minutes to warm through.
- Brighten it up – Just before serving, stir in red wine vinegar for a tangy lift.
- Sprinkle with freshly grated Pecorino Romano when serving.
Notes
Preparing the Collard Greens
How much is a “bunch”? This recipe uses 1 bunch, which was roughly under 2 lbs before removing the stems. (There were about 20 leaves in my bunch.) After removing the stems, the leaves weighed about 1.5 pounds. How to Remove Stems from Collard Greens:
Method 1. Fold the leaf in half lengthwise, then cut out the stem with a knife or tear it away from the stem with your hands. *I find it easier to tear them off the stem.
Method 2. Hold the stem at the bottom with one hand, and slide your other hand firmly up the stem to remove the leaf. How to Clean Collard Greens!
Fresh collard greens are often full of dirt, grit, and sometimes bugs. I like using the soak-and-scrub method. It ensures that the collard greens are thoroughly clean.
I find that creating a quick, easy cleaning solution makes this process much faster! Here’s how I wash collard greens.
1. Fill your sink or deep dishpan with water, then add ½ cup of distilled white vinegar and three tablespoons of salt. (This will not affect the flavor of the greens.)
2. Swish this around, and then submerge your greens in the water. Agitate the greens while scrubbing and swirling them in the water to loosen any dirt.
3. Let the greens soak for 20-30 minutes, giving them a good scrub midway. The vinegar and salt will help loosen and remove any dirt, grit, and bring out any bugs hiding in the greens.
4. Drain the water and soak again in plain water (1-2 times) if the water is dirty and gritty. 5. Finally, to ensure your greens are squeaky clean, drain the water, then wash and gently scrub each leaf, front and back, by hand. Cutting Collard Greens
A. Stack several leaves on top of each other and roll them up lengthwise. Using a knife, cut the rolls into strips. Or…
B. Simply tear the greens into bite-sized pieces with your hands. I prefer method B! I grab several leaves and just rip them up into small pieces.
How much is a “bunch”? This recipe uses 1 bunch, which was roughly under 2 lbs before removing the stems. (There were about 20 leaves in my bunch.) After removing the stems, the leaves weighed about 1.5 pounds. How to Remove Stems from Collard Greens:
Method 1. Fold the leaf in half lengthwise, then cut out the stem with a knife or tear it away from the stem with your hands. *I find it easier to tear them off the stem.
Method 2. Hold the stem at the bottom with one hand, and slide your other hand firmly up the stem to remove the leaf. How to Clean Collard Greens!
Fresh collard greens are often full of dirt, grit, and sometimes bugs. I like using the soak-and-scrub method. It ensures that the collard greens are thoroughly clean.
I find that creating a quick, easy cleaning solution makes this process much faster! Here’s how I wash collard greens.
1. Fill your sink or deep dishpan with water, then add ½ cup of distilled white vinegar and three tablespoons of salt. (This will not affect the flavor of the greens.)
2. Swish this around, and then submerge your greens in the water. Agitate the greens while scrubbing and swirling them in the water to loosen any dirt.
3. Let the greens soak for 20-30 minutes, giving them a good scrub midway. The vinegar and salt will help loosen and remove any dirt, grit, and bring out any bugs hiding in the greens.
4. Drain the water and soak again in plain water (1-2 times) if the water is dirty and gritty. 5. Finally, to ensure your greens are squeaky clean, drain the water, then wash and gently scrub each leaf, front and back, by hand. Cutting Collard Greens
A. Stack several leaves on top of each other and roll them up lengthwise. Using a knife, cut the rolls into strips. Or…
B. Simply tear the greens into bite-sized pieces with your hands. I prefer method B! I grab several leaves and just rip them up into small pieces.
Nutrition
Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 4232mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 7648IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 410mg | Iron: 3mg