This simple White Bean Pasta makes use of store cupboard staples like pasta, a can of beans and tomatoes for a budget friendly meal that is easy to adapt. A few dried herbs and a glug of balsamic vinegar bring this easy and comforting pasta dish to life.
I love a good cupboard raid meal when I haven't done a shop in a while, and there is no need to turn to instant noodles. Chances are you have some pasta shapes, a tin of beans and some tomatoes in the cupboard, and that's the base of this meal that you can adapt with other ingredients you might have in the fridge.
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Why should you try it?
- Ready in just 15 minutes
- Protein packed
- Easy to adapt
- Budget friendly
- Freezes well
Step by step
One: Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes.
Two: Put a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add the shallots. Gently cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
Three: Add the tomatoes and beans and simmer for 3 minutes.
Four: Add the garlic and oregano.
Five: Mix in the spinach and balsamic and cook for 2 minutes.
Six: Mix with the cooked pasta and serve.
This comforting and filling pasta dish is ready in just 15 minutes, meaning that even when the fridge is bare and you don't think you can put a meal together, with a raid of the cupboard you can have dinner on the table.
The cannellini beans make it a protein packed pasta dish, that also has a nice veggie boost from the spinach that is mixed in at the end. But you could swap that for other vegetables. You could serve it up as a light dinner, or put a grilled chicken breast or salmon on top for something more filling.
What vegetables can be added?
This recipe is a great opportunity to chop up whatever you have in your fridge and add it - it reduces food waste. We just added onion and spinach, but you could use peppers, mushrooms, courgette or aubergine. Even carrots and broccoli could be chopped up and added.
We used fresh spinach, but if you have some in the freezer, then you could add that instead. You could substitute spinach for kale too.
What to top it with
Take this pasta dish to the next level by topping it with cheese. We went with a sprinkling of parmesan, but there are lots of options here. You could tear some mozzarella up to put on top, or even crumble over some goats cheese. Or keep it easy with some grated cheddar.
We have also turned this in to a pasta bake by putting it all in a baking dish, topping it with cheddar and then putting it in the oven for 15 minutes to get all bubbly and delicious.
What to serve it with
Garlic bread of course! Pasta and garlic bread are such a delicious match. Either buy some ready made, or make your own easy garlic bread by cutting up some French stick and spreading it with a mix of butter, crushed garlic and dried herbs. Then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes.
We like to serve this with a big green salad too. Because, you can never have too many greens in your life, right?
Can it be reheated?
Yes, this reheats well, so feel free to make extra and then you have yourself and easy lunch for the next day. You can also put it in the freezer, so it's a nice batch cook meal to save you time in the week.
Extra tips
- Add some extra flavour to this dish with a sprinkle of chilli flakes before serving.
- We used parmesan on top, but you could add cheddar, mozzarella or goats cheese.
- Mix this dish up a little by turning it in to a pasta bake.
- You can swap the spinach for kale, but make sure it is chopped up small so it cooks well.
- You can add any veggies that you have that need using up. Mushrooms, pepper and courgette work well.
- We used cannellini beans, but you can use any can of white beans that you have.
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Recipe
White Bean Pasta
Ingredients
- 140 g penne pasta
- 3 shallots diced
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 400 g chopped tomatoes canned
- 240 g cannellini beans canned, drained weight
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 60 g spinach
Instructions
- Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes.
- Put a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add the shallots. Gently cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add the tomatoes and beans and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and oregano.
- Mix in the spinach and balsamic and cook for 2 minutes.
Notes
- Add some extra flavour to this dish with a sprinkle of chilli flakes before serving.
- We used parmesan on top, but you could add cheddar, mozzarella or goats cheese.
- Mix this dish up a little by turning it in to a pasta bake.
- You can swap the spinach for kale, but make sure it is chopped up small so it cooks well.
- You can add any veggies that you have that need using up. Mushrooms, pepper and courgette work well.
- We used cannellini beans, but you can use any can of white beans that you have.
Jessica Formicola
I made this pasta for dinner last night and everyone loved it! It will definitely be added to our regular rotation!