Big Beans & Spicy Greens Gratin

• servings: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

PRODUCE

8 garlic cloves

1 large white onion

1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound)

1 bunch kale, Swiss chard, spinach, or mustard greens (about 1 pound)

DAIRY

8 ounces sharp provolone, cheddar, or Gruyère cheese

2 cups heavy cream

PANTRY

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Kosher salt

3 (14.5-ounce) cans butter beans, gigante beans, or other white beans

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

Meanwhile prep the greens:

+ Trim off the bottom inch of 1 bunch of broccoli rabe, then chop the bunch crosswise into roughly 2-inch pieces.

+ Strip the leaves of 1 bunch of kale and tear them into 3- to 4-inch pieces.

6 Assemble the gratin:

* Add the broccoli rabe to the onions and cook, tossing often with tongs to encourage it to begin to cook down and wilt, about 1 minute. Add the kale, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the kale and broccoli rabe turn bright green and lose some of their volume, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

+ Stir in 2 cups heavy cream and the drained beans. The mixture will look loose but will reduce significantly in the

oven as it bakes.

+ Working one handful at a time, stir in all but one large handful of the grated cheese into the pot. It won't fully melt at this point; that will happen in the oven. Bake the gratin: Scatter the reserved handful of cheese over the top, followed by the toasted panko. Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and bake until bubbling and thick and a golden brown crust forms around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Toast the panko: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup panko and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the panko is light golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.' Transfer the panko to a bowl to cool. Wipe out the Dutch oven.

Do some prep: + Grate 8 ounces sharp provolone cheese (about 2 cups) and transfer to a medium bowl. + Firmly smash and peel 8 garlic cloves. Roughly chop the smashed garlic into smaller pieces. + Cut 1 large white onion in half through the root end. Peel and discard the skin. Thinly slice the onion through the root end. + Drain and rinse 3 (14.5-ounce) cans of butter beans in a fine-mesh strainer.

2 Start the gratin: Heat ¼ cup olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and beginning to brown at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

much more color in the oven, as the moisture in the dish inhibits their browning.

Notes

It's important to toast the bread crumbs fully, because they won't really take on much more color in the oven as the moisture in the dish inhibits their browning