Recipe: Shrimp and Beans (using pancetta, sage, and white wine)

SHRIMP AND BEANS

1 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced crosswise
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz. pancetta, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1 lb. large shrimp (21 to 25 per lb.)
1 1/2 cups drained canned cranberry beans* or cannellini beans
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
3 tbsp. dry white wine
2 tsp. finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the onion and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan and place it over medium heat. Saute until the onion turns a rich golden color.

While the onion is sauteing, unravel the pancetta and cut it into strips about 1-inch long and 1/8-inch thick. Peel and devein the shrimp.

Add the pancetta to the onion and cook until it begins to color lightly. Then add the beans and sage and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When you are ready to serve:
Put the garlic and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a clean large skillet and place it over high heat. Begin reheating the beans over low heat if necessary. Saute the garlic until it begins to color, then remove the cloves and discard them.

Add the shrimp and saute for about 1 minute.

Add the wine and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp until they turn completely pink, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Toss the hot beans and the shrimp together and serve at once with good crusty bread.

*Cranberry beans are also called "shell beans" or "shellouts." They have large knotty beige pods splotched with red. They must be shelled before cooking, and they lose their red color during the cooking process, according to Sharon Tyler Herbst in "Food Lover's Companion."

Servings: 4 to 6 people as a main dish or 8 people as an appetizer
Source: Every Night Italian by Giuliano Hazan and Marcella Hazan