Escarole and Beans & Uccelleto - Lunch with Gianni

Sautéed escarole with Tuscan white beans (fagioli cannellini) is one that I make often for a quick healthy meal and to have in the fridge to enjoy one more time with a hunk of crusty bread to soak up the broth or as a side-dish with meat or fish. Most use garlic in this dish. I don’t. I use sweet onion instead to enhance the sweet, mellow flavor of cooked escarole. That sweetness is perfect with the yummy, creamy white beans.
Also, as a bonus cannellini dish, I'm making uccelleto! They're often on menus all over Tuscany for just a few euros and an excellent antipasti or side dish. There's really only 3 ingredients in this recipe to gently enhance but not overpower the delicate taste of the creamy beans. You want them to shine through.
➡️ Recipes: gianni.tv/sauteed-escarole-wi...
00:00 Intro
01:47 Escarole and Beans
14:25 Uccelleto
30:32 Tasting the escarole and beans
36:47 Tasting the uccelleto

[@mediclimber]

Welcome back, I missed your cooking.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie Jeffrey. I'm happy as a clam to be back shooting videos all on my own.

[@jefflloyd3645]

A great chef, a terrific instructor and a natural in front of the camera gracing us with the recipes of the best cuisine on earth. Salute!

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie Jeff. I appreciate your support. I only go into the kitchen when I have an itch to share another dish for the Lunch with Gianni series. You gotta eat, right?

[@jimgibney1640]

I too am a native of Newark actually Belleville. Love your anecdotal tales of days past and more importantly, your recipes. Keep it up , thank you

[@donb.1426]

So happy to see you back, my friend! For years, I have tried every search possible, with no luck until eventually I gave up thinking the worst. What a thrill to finally see you again! God bless!

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Don. I'm still kicking and cooking in my kitchen. I'm so happy to be able to share some new dishes as I shoot the episodes all on my own. I hope you like them.

[@daveronald7788]

Welcome back Gianni. Love Sunday episodes

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Should I stick to Sunday for Lunch with Gianni? So far I go back into the kitchen when I get the urge. I already have two contenders for the next episode. Stay tuned.

[@Mzoomtwo]

you are amazing cook simple and fresh ,home made food ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie. That's what my kitchen is all about. "Slow Food" as it was labeled in Italia.

[@davidwfrasier6823]

So glad your back. I watched your videos over and over. You are The Best! I feel like you are a long lost friend. Your videos are very well done. Thanks for returning to your friends. Cheers from Boston

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao David. One of my favorite cities Boston. I enjoyed it often when I lived in Providence. I'm pleased our paths crossed and I'm so happy to re-connect with those who enjoy my cooking. I hope you enjoy Lunch with Gianni episodes as I cook and shoot video on my own during the pandemic.

[@davidwfrasier6823]

Thanks! You are The Star! I am thoroughly enjoying. All of your episodes!...Mangia!

[@jambrozi]

Welcome back Gianni, such a relaxing show. Love what you do

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Jerry. I agree especially during these difficult days. --Gianni

[@Fiorwestcoast]

Glad you're back!

[@pkeod]

Glad to see you back pal

[@AlfonsoTheTraitor]

That looks awesome my friend 😉

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie Alfonso. Give them a try. Their worth your investment.

[@MrJOHN6T6]

Awesome to have Gianni back in the kitchen, great recipes

[@RitaD0724]

I just made this last week. Delicious. I wash the escarole first…three times. It’s often pretty dirty.

[@inescece4707]

Nice to see you again Jonni ! Buonissimo ! Bravo 😊

[@l.t.2356]

Hi Gianni, I'm so, so glad you are back. Your delightful manner makes me smile. My grandparents came from Italy. Their name was Caruso. My big brother is convinced that his voice is on par with the great Caruso.😁

[@lynneyb2469]

I had to take a double take. I always wondered where you went. Welcome back and so nice to see you. 😊 So looking forward to your great recipes!

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie. It is me. Thanks for watching. --Gianni

[@alicehagan3251]

Gianni so good to have you back! Love escarole and beans. One of my all time favorites. I prefer garlic snd a little pepperoncini.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Alice. Using garlic doesn't make you a bad person, most people do. I used a small whole dry chili pepper instead of chili flakes. But like you I like a little heat as I finish each bite..

[@mrtspence]

So glad to see some more videos! Absolutely love your channel. These kind of staple dishes are the best.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie. Simple food for a simple man. I long to share my table again with family & friends.

[@mrtspence]

@@GianniNorthBeachTV Well said, Gianni! I think we're through the worst of it. There'll be folks at the table soon.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie. The rustic cooking of the poor throughout Italia and its evolution in Italian immigrant kitchens throughout America is my passion. I especially enjoy searching for the roots in Italia of dishes I cook. I always return from stays there with a broadened understanding of the dishes I cook and new ones that I long to make my own, and many new friends to boot.

[@LuckyC555]

Hey Mr. Gianni!! I really missed your good cooking.

[@Rob_430]

Escarole & Beans, a favorite of mine, my Grandmother made often. Brought up in Newark, from NJ also. Grandma cooked up a storm in our basement, where we all ate together. I’m a home bread baker and my Italian Crusty Bread I made today would be great to eat with the dish......Yum. But today we only had Eggplant Parm my wife made and the bread. Those were the days.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Rob. So many memories of family around the table. Where did you live in Newark? My father had a butcher shop on Garside Street in the First Ward. I grew up in Bloomfield around the corner from the now gone Columbus Hospital in Newark. Was your Grandma's similar to mine?

[@belikewater3038]

Love watching you cook. Simple and so relaxing

[@jackiejanetm]

Great video Gianni! It's fun watching you in you little kitchen!

[@njsmoker83]

So happy you are back.

[@markreedy4700]

Good to see you Gianni!

[@chilipez2934]

I appreciate these presentations, Gianni. Thank you!

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie. I'm so happy in the kitchen. I can't wait until I can have friends & family around my table again.

[@wendyellis6402]

Simple and yummy. I love escarole and beans. Thanks Gianni 🥰

[@windflower5010]

Going to make the escarole and beans this week. Looks delicious!

[@jrusso0667]

Looks delicious. Thank you for the recipe.

[@milehighed52801]

Hey Gianni! Greetings from a Italian NYer living in Colorado for over 30 years now. Great to see you back in the kitchen again. You look great! You were away too long. Looking forward to more great recipes, stories and perhaps another live chat. Escarole and beans were always one of my favorites since I was a young boy. My Grandma made it often during wintertime. I made it about a month ago. No escarole in any grocery stores here, so I had to use spinach, kale and arugula instead. It still came out pretty good. Yours looked real tasty along with the Tuscan dish. I love the rustic dishes from Tuscany. See you again soon. 👍🏻🇮🇹🇺🇸

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao. Nice job adapting to what you found in the market. Try it with Licinato Black Kale (a/k/a Dino Kale). It works well too. Keep on cooking. --Gianni

[@lucilledion5344]

Ciao Gianni ! I really enjoyed watching you cook these simple and assuringly delicious dishes ! On my "to make" menu for this week ! And sole filet , again !!! Ah, that was sooo good ! Have a great day...

[@sarak6083]

This is awesome paisan

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie Sara. I appreciate you support. I love these 2 dishes and they're good for you.

[@theohiostate77]

So glad you are back!!

[@TurkeyDart]

Perfect for the cold weather

[@kevinruggerio1796]

Welcome back Gianni!! Your cooking brings me back to my Grandmothers Sunday meals!! Italian from Newburgh, NY!!

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Kevin. Oh those wonderful family meals of yore. I still cook that food as do many in my family spanning 3 generations. And for those who shun the kitchen they never miss a seat at the family table.

[@CrazyPicklersgaming]

Looks delicious

[@janie7242]

Missed Tuscany, love their cooking~ White bean,,, delicious! Thanks for sharing! 😃😍

[@vaporz109]

Welcome back!

[@adamlicht3809]

Welcome Back, Gianni!

[@mariacarpitella2286]

Welcome back!! Uccelleto looks wonderful. I am Italian and my grandparents were from South Philly; but have never had Uccelleto. I will be giving it a try.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Maria. Uccelletto wasn't in my Neapolitan immigrant family's cooking in Jersey. When I had it for the first time in Tuscany I was hooked. I love the variety of cooking traditions in each region in Italia.

[@Livealittle888]

Ciao, Gianni! Buon giorno! You're the best Italian cook on KZbin! Always making the dishes look simple to cook yet delicious! Thank you for sharing your expertise with the internet! So glad you're back! Ciao ciao!

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie. I'm happy to be shooting new episodes. Since I'm shooting the video and cooking alone in my kitchen I have to keep the dishes simple and delicious.

[@Livealittle888]

@@GianniNorthBeachTV Prego! You do a great job not only cooking and explaining but you’re doing awesome with being your own cameraman! 😁👍🏼

[@michaelharrison5564]

Hello from Ireland gianni, love your videos, so passionate and knowledgeable! You have improved my cooking skills enormously :)

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Michael. Grazie, teaching dishes I love, that's what my cooking episodes are all about. Hearing its been helpful to you is touching. Keep on cooking!

[@deputy3690]

How ya doin pal! Good seeing ya! Don't forget to rinse the escarole a few times to remove any dirt/sandy soil!

[@ninesticks]

wow - welcome back! i have used many of your examples and missed your vids...

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Grazie. I'm happy to be back with Lunch with Gianni. I'm doing it all and shooting the video. Whew! --Gianni

[@secondsightcinema3957]

Hey Gianni, just subscribed recently and love your vids, so glad to see you back in the kitchen! Planning to make your pasta fazool tonight or tomorrow, really got the craving for it. Anyway, welcome back, looking forward to more hanging out in your kitchen and learning more simple, first-class Italian cooking!

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao. Thanks for the sub. I hope the pasta fazool pleased you. Keep on cooking. --Gianni

[@roykemp6502]

My lips are sealed concerning the wrong burner, I have done that many times. LOL

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Thanks brother. I was embarrassed. I got a little frazzled cooking 2 dishes at the same time. Thank God they both turned out well.

[@roykemp6502]

@@GianniNorthBeachTV You shouldn't be embarrassed, mission accomplished another 2 great dishes as usual.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

With a little help from my friends who support me. Grazie.

[@abstractbeautyandchaos]

So good to see you Sir!

[@TeamGenius304]

Welcome back!!!

[@rosettarobertson1477]

Looks good. I'm the KY lady. We love northern white beans down here and sometime pinto beans. I think I'll try your recipes but I'll fry some corn bread to go with it. Yummmm

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Rosetta, talk about making a dish your own. Brava! My nephew and his family live in Louisville but I never had fried corn bread when I visited. Sounds yummy. What's your favorite favorite white bean recipe down there in KY?

[@Jack-cr7qn]

Johnny a great Chef

[@Mzoomtwo]

👋 i love survival food ❤️

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Yeah I'm glad I survived juggling 2 dishes at the same time. Grazie.

[@Mzoomtwo]

look yummm

[@sarak6083]

@@GianniNorthBeachTV lol awesomeness

[@jgilvey]

Essex County guy here too - welcome back.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Jack. I'm excited to be headed back east soon including spending some time in Essex and Bergen County with family and friends. Can't wait, my last visit was for a family wedding in November 2019. --Gianni

[@mrmike9793]

He's Gianni...and THIS is HIS North Beach.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Love the village. It's been a rough year but we're supporting each other and we'll come out the other side.

[@wreckanchor]

Glad you are back. You add a bit of class to youtube.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

If you're right KZbin's in trouble. --Gianni

[@bettystouffer6012]

Been awhile there Gianni geez I was worried about ya! Thank God you're ok! Happy New Year!

[@lunarmystic9896]

Hiya Gianni Tried this its exellent thanks chief . It's a really good mix .I used plain greens & basic sausage stuff added a bunch of chilli -essentially kept to your recipie. Keep them coming Really like 👍

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Nice job making the recipe your own. Brava! Stay tuned more coming. --Gianni

[@lunarmystic9896]

@@GianniNorthBeachTV thanks Gianni keep em coming -by the way what sort of sausage was that ..Italian right ? Hard to find in UK maybe

[@ericcaravag4614]

MMM GIANNI I.M SURE I CAN SMELL AND TASTE .LOVE YOURCOOKING

[@nflguy1979]

I missed you Gianni! Hope you are doing well. Your cutlet recipe is a staple in our house now BTW!

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao. All is well here. Cooking is a creative diversion for me during the pandemic. I love cutlets, veal, pork, chicken, tofu--all of them. Keep on cooking!

[@outtathyme5679]

Real cooking

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

And two at a time. Did you see me sweating?

[@milehighed52801]

@@GianniNorthBeachTV Not at all!

[@anncastoria9042]

BOTH LOOK SO DELISH...AND I ALSO USE ONION , TOO MAKE IT SWEET..EVEN WHEN I DO MY RABE I USE ONION AS WELL AS GARLIC...

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Ann. Birds of a feather on escarole. My rabe, no onion. It is flavored with anchovy, garlic and dried chili pepper that I toast in extra virgin olive oil before adding the rabe. To each her/his own right?

[@gigyoung181]

good to see you've returned to the kitchen, Gianni. where'd you get your pan? I love the welded handle type.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

It's a fantastic pan that I've had for years. Don't remember where I bought it. I tried to track it down a few years ago to no avail. The only stamps on the bottom are Made in Italy and another that states it's stainless steel bottom for high temperatures. Sorry no maker stamp.

[@gigyoung181]

@@GianniNorthBeachTV Thanks for replying. I noticed the pan in some older videos of yours and I liked it for its size, shallow sides, and no-rivet handle. Italy has quite a few cookware manufacturers, mostly in the north. It will forever remain a mystery. Keep on cooking', John.

[@JP1NYC]

I love your videos your the real deal!! I would love the food you just made. My mom used to make a soup with escarole beans garlic onions and evoo she was from Abruzzi I remember her saying you could replace the escarole with spinach Is it the same with what you made?

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Josh. Abruzzo is on my bucket list. My family roots are in Campania right next door. Sure, you can use any leafy green you like. Make the recipe your own.

[@JP1NYC]

@@GianniNorthBeachTV Ciao Gianni Thanks for answering the question! I'm glad your back to making videos... I know my mom would've been a big fan of yours!

[@waitaminute-vw9hf]

For a minute there I thought you forgot to pay the gas bill.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

At least I would have had a good excuse.

[@anthonygm85]

I know the deal is lunch with Gianni but I could use some Italian dessert recipes

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

OK. I'll post links to some I've done and I'm thinking hard about what I can include in the next episode. --Gianni

[@mammoth123.]

Looks great Gianni but why no garlic ?

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao. I'm craving the sweetness of the onions for this mellow dish. No garlic allowed. You know what I say: sometimes the best ingredient is the one you leave out. --Gianni

[@barbaramartin2989]

You have to wash the escarole before you cook it,very sandy,

[@anthonygm85]

Bean water adds a body to your since its mostly starch

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

True that.

[@Bob-um6nj]

Gianni what town did you grow up in Jersey?

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Bob. Bloomfield on the border with Newark.

[@Bob-um6nj]

@@GianniNorthBeachTV 😀Livingston here my Essex county cousin! Do you remember Manzi’s Men’s shop in Newark?

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

@@Bob-um6nj When I was a kid we used to go to a men's shop on Broadway near Bloomfield Ave. I don't remember the name though.

[@annagiaquinto9754]

I love you.

[@ericeandco]

Never try to light a stove with a cigarette lighter! It’s likely to explode in your hand.

[@dirtyunclehubert]

loved it! yep - real authentic cucina italiana is not truffles at all, its poor mans eating. pizza for example is not at all good eating, it was what the poor people could make do with what they had.

[@GianniNorthBeachTV]

Ciao Hubert. Agreed. Many times over the last hundred years and certainly earlier it was survival cooking. Making the best dishes with humble ingredients. That is still my cooking tradition. But I do have a soft-spot for truffles. I can't pass up an opportunity to enjoy them when I can. I'm grateful. For me making a pizza at home or having one at an excellent North Beach pizzeria is an occasional treat. So many styles to choose from. Grazie.

[@antoniahormann1533]

Escarole and beans,were is the uccelletto?

[@MercyMinister]

Water has no flavor. How about some homemade vegetable or chicken stock?