Chili of Forgiveness

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

Kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground dark-meat turkey (you can substitute lean ground pork)
• 2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained, juices reserved,and chopped
• 4 cups diced butternut squash (See Note)
• 2 (15-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 pound Tuscan kale (also called dinosaur or Lacinato kale), stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
• 12 large sage leaves, finely sliced

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Put the olive oil in a large heavy pot set over medium-high heat, add the onion, garlic, rosemary and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is just barely softened, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and toast for 30 seconds. Add the turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and quite browned and its moisture has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot, along with another big pinch of salt, increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low and gently simmer, uncovered, until the tomatoes lose their tin-can taste, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the squash, cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is just tender, about 20 minutes. Add the beans, kale and sage and cook, uncovered, until the kale is just wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle the chili into bowls and top each portion with grated Parmesan.
4. Do Ahead
5. The chili can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. Reheat it over medium-low heat, stirring often. It also freezes very well for up to 2 months.

Chili is forgiving. I learned just how true this is when I set out to make a big batch of a Mediterranean‑inspired chili. I couldn’t find ground dark‑meat turkey at the market, so I bought ground turkey breast. But when I took it out of the packaging, it was revoltingly mushy and I threw it out. Luckily, I had ground pork in my fridge (you can use either turkey or pork here). The recipe called for canned diced tomatoes, but I only had cans of whole tomatoes, so I used them. I hate peeling squash, so I’d bought peeled, cut butternut squash. Unfortunately, it was dried out, so instead of cooking in twenty minutes, it took upward of an hour. After the squash was finally tender, I reached into the pantry for a can of white beans. What I found looked like mini versions of the cannellini beans the recipe called for. What the heck, I’d switched everything else, so I tossed them in with bravado. I served the chili to a group of friends, who all asked for seconds. But it taught me a big lesson: I should have planned better. If you’re prepared, you never have to depend on luck—or a forgiving recipe to get you through. A small-to-medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds) will yield 4 cups of diced (3/4-inch) squash. You can also find it already peeled and cubed in many produce sections, but make sure it’s fresh looking, not dried out. You can also substitute sweet potatoes, which are easier to peel and cut. The chili will be sweeter but still delicious.