Heatlyh Italian White Bean Stew with Bacon

I have a love affair with white beans….the bigger the better. They are creamy and luscious and I just swoon over them. Ok that probably makes me a giant kitchen dork, but it’s true. The other good thing about beans is they are super healthy. So when I added a little bit of bacon to this dish, I didn’t feel bad at all. In fact, this dish is really rather good for you. It’s a hearty stew of sweet Italian tomatoes (I like to use the fire roasted variety), tender vegetables with that added flair from the fennel, creamy and satisfying large white beans and then the pop of bacon here and there. The woodsy notes from the rosemary give this a rustic homey feel. We had this for dinner and then promptly finished it off the next night. Topped with a generous sprinkle of pecorino, it really hits the spot. You could also make it veg by omitting the bacon and just sautéing the vegetables in olive oil only. It’s warm and soothing and reminds me of the decadent flavors of my favorite pasta dishes without the guilt of eating pasta. Enjoy!