Rachel Roddy’s recipe for beans with greens and sausages | A kitchen in Rome
The benefit of soaking and cooking (or, better still, pressure cooking) your own beans are many: less packaging; money saved (a 500g bag of dried beans costing £2.50 will yield 1.5kg cooked beans, while some 400g tins can cost more or less the same); the suspiciously coloured but flavourful and starchy bean cooking water; and some personal satisfaction that you actually remembered to soak the beans in the first place.The benefits – and joy – of tinned beans, however, are almost instantaneous.That is, just a ring-pull away – unless, of course, said ring-pull comes off prematurely, turning the tin into a door without a knob and leaving you two options: searching for the tin opener that is somewhere in the miscellaneous drawer (or among the picnic equipment, which is on top of the wardrobe), or puncturing the tin at exactly the right spot on the seam with a pointy parmesan knife, which is somewhere in the same drawer.
Fortunately, the ring pull didn’t come away prematurely on any of the three tins – two borlotti beans and one plum tomatoes – required for this week’s recipe, which came about thanks to a meal at Dal Cordaro, a hard-working and decent trattoria just behind Porta Portese, a 17th-century city gate (arch) in the Aurelian wall on the right bank of the river Tiber.Everything we ordered – whole braised artichokes, slow-cooked oxtail stew, flash-fried rags of beef (straccetti), pasta and chickpeas – was pleasing and could have made its way into this column.However, my plate of beans in a rich, orange-tinted tomato sauce with poached sausages and greens (escarole) stirred in at some point was the satisfying idea that came home with me.On the subject of things in tins, this dish had about it something – and I mean this as a compliment – of both baked beans (homemade and Heinz) and breakfast-in-a-tin.Notably, the plump, slightly jellied consistency of the sausage that comes from poaching in sauce, which is, of course, accompanied by the flavour and substance of the sausages you choose to use.
I tried 100% pork sausages with fennel seeds, sausages with some rusk, and seitan bratwurst, all of which worked well.This an accommodating dish, and can also be adapted to use soaked and cooked beans, plus a little of the cooking broth.While the combination of beans, greens and sausages is a complete and satisfying one, this stew/braise welcomes thick slices of toast rubbed lightly with garlic and brushed with melted butter or olive oil, for mopping up the sauce and cleaning the plate.At Dal Cordaro, as well as serving a good cherry and ricotta tart, they also offer seasonal fruit, which might be pineapple fanned out with a decorative twist.A wonderful pudding – as is tinned pineapple.
Serves 44 tbsp olive oil 4-8 pork or vegetarian sausages1 large onion, peeled and diced1 sprig sage400g tin peeled plum tomatoes, crushed or passed through a food mill1 tsp tomato concentrate1 tsp red chilli flakesSalt and black pepper2 400g tins borlotti or cannellini beans, drained well250g greens – spinach or endive, sayIn a heavy-based pan or casserole dish on a medium-low heat, warm two tablespoons of the oil, then add the sausages and turn regularly until lightly brown on all sides.Remove the sausages from the pan – this is just a preliminary browning, and they will be cooked more later.Back in the pan, add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pork fat, then stir in the onion.Once the onion is soft, add the sage, then, after a minute or two, the tinned tomatoes, tomato concentrate, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt.Simmer for 10 minutes, pressing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to break up any lumps.
Add a glass of warm water, return the sausages to the pan, and simmer, turning regularly, for 20-25 minutes (if you are using veggie sausages, adjust the timing as required), adding more water if the sauce thickens too much.Once the sausages are cooked through, stir in the drained beans, simmer for a further five minutes, then add the greens and stir until they wilt completely into the sauce.Taste, adjust for salt and pepper as needed, and serve.
Already on the plane or left at home? How England’s Rugby World Cup squad is shaping up
Steve Borthwick started the Six Nations with a settled group but the journey to Australia 2027 has suddenly become a lot more complicatedNot so long ago, Steve Borthwick’s squad for the 2027 World Cup was taking shape nicely. He picked a largely predictable 36-man group for the Six Nations and the same can be said of his matchday 23 to face Wales in England’s championship opener. Borthwick is a loyal coach who relies heavily on depth charts and the exodus of so many players to France after the last World Cup made a number of difficult decisions for him much easier. Just how tailored his squad is to the 2027 tournament is demonstrated by his refusal to pick the Bordeaux-bound Tom Willis on the basis he will not be available despite being awarded an enhanced contract last summer.Suddenly, on the back of two heavy defeats and shocking performances, things are not nearly as settled
‘I know I can do it again – 100%’: Lando Norris on proving himself against the best in F1
Briton overcame crippling self-doubt to become F1 world champion and is determined not to relinquish his crownLando Norris recalls being rendered speechless with joy when he was given his first contract with McLaren. Sitting in the cramped office of a paddock truck, the confirmation that he had made it to Formula One left him “very smiley for a long time”. Seven years on, he enters the new season having achieved his lifelong ambition of becoming world champion and is wearing an equally irrepressible grin as he sets about defending his title.Claiming the championship after a monumental season-long tussle that went to a thrilling three-way fight at the finale in Abu Dhabi was the defining moment of the 26-year-old’s career and perhaps something of a turning point.“I’m always very much in my own head and very thoughtful about myself,” he says
Winter Paralympics walks tightrope as Russia’s inclusion risks ceremony boycott
The Paralympic torch left its home in Stoke Mandeville this week and has arrived at the gateway to the Dolomites. The towns of Bolzano and Trento will host “flame festivals” over the weekend to welcome the Paralympic movement and commemorate its progress on the 50th anniversary of the first Winter Games. It will be a joyous, poignant start to what could be a fractious fortnight.While the flame is being passed between torch bearers, the leaders of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will be scrambling to contain what increasingly resembles a diplomatic incident. A decision last week to invite 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Winter Paralympics at Milano Cortina has been met with full-throated criticism from across Europe and beyond
Jacks and Ahmed find dramatic late blitz to earn England unlikely win over New Zealand
A game played on a turning wicket and dominated by spin was decided, appropriately, after a decisive, savage twist. Just as it looked as if England’s unconvincing progress through the World Cup was the one thing destined to remain on its predictable path Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks spun the game, and the group, in their team’s favour.England’s pursuit of a target of 160 was appearing increasingly forlorn until its 18th over, bowled by Glenn Phillips, which started with them needing 43 off 18 and ended, two sixes and a couple of fours later, with a manageable 21 required off 12. Ahmed started the next with another boundary to keep the momentum going and before the penultimate delivery the batters conferred. “I said: ‘I’ll get a single and you just have a free hit,’” Jacks said; he got his single and Ahmed deposited the final delivery into the stands
England beat New Zealand by four wickets: T20 Cricket World Cup Super 8s – as it happened
Henry goes short, it hits Jacks on the helmet or glove and that’s it! It runs away for four and England win! A 44 run partnership from 16 balls between Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed has pulled the rug from New Zealand!Righto, that’s us done here. A fantastic game, England are hitting their straps at just the right time. New Zealand now have a nervy wait, they need Sri Lanka to do them a favour by beating Pakistan.We’ll be bringing you the semi-finals and final next week but that’s all from me today, goodbye!England Captain Harry Brook:Are England peaking at right time?double quotation markI think so. We still haven’t played that perfect game
Perfect pitches for historic matches | Letters
Alex Preston, in his travel feature on Corfu (21 February), writes about playing with the Lord’s Taverners on “the only cricket pitch in the world I know that’s set within a Unesco world heritage site”. Wonderful though the cricket ground in Corfu undoubtedly is, I am surprised that Preston’s fellow Taverner, Andy Caddick of Somerset and England, didn’t let him know that Bath also enjoys a cricket pitch within a Unesco world heritage site (and possibly two if you include the Rec), while the ground at Galle, Sri Lanka, where Caddick played a Test in 2001, adjacent to the Fort, is mighty close.David DuddingLondon Greenwich Park is also a Unesco world heritage site and has a cricket field in the south-west corner.Alan Burkitt-Gray London Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Plaid Cymru is ready to ‘lead the charge’ in Wales
RAF jets flying defensive missions after US-Israeli attack on Iran, Starmer says
Decision to allow UK exports to Armenian firm under review over Russian links
Labour anxiety and accusations after big shift in Muslim vote to Greens
‘Our own people hate us’: reality check for Labour as 13,000 majority vanishes
PM vows to ‘keep fighting’ after Greens sweep past Labour and Reform to win byelection – as it happened