Tuscan White Bean Pasta Recipe

This Tuscan white bean pasta recipe is my family’s favorite pasta next to bolognese.

I make a good lunch for the twins from three to five days a week. This is the dish they ask for the most. They homeschool for their senior year so they can train for competitive mountain biking. This means they need carbs and protein, but it needs to be healthy.

I don’t want to lecture anyone on how to manage the food in their kitchen, but I would like to inspire you to make more food at home using easy, fast recipes and yet still be in that slow food lane.

Slow food doesn’t mean a three-hour braise or a long list of ingredients. It means real food with real ingredients that are easy to access, and feed the body well.

Why Pasta and Beans is a Healthy Recipe

Pasta and beans make a complete protein, providing all the nine essential amino acids needed. Carrots and spinach along with garlic and olive oil add even more healthy benefits.

Why This White Beans Pasta Recipe is Our Favorite

This is a delicious dish for many reasons. The flavor boosters are garlic and rosemary sautéed in olive oil and a finish of pecorino romano grated cheese at the end. The heft of rigatoni along with creamy beans give you something to bite into.

Process for White Bean Pasta

The beauty of this recipe is how easy it is to get flavor, heft, and protein in just 15 minutes. The carrots are cooked right in the pasta water with the macaroni, while the beans are heated in an adjacent frying pan, soaking up the garlic flavored olive oil with rosemary. I also add in a half cup of passata (tomato puree) to the beans to add even more flavor.

The pasta and carrots are then transferred to the pan with beans, along with some pasta water. This is important because the starchy water adds creaminess. I do add a small amount (1/4 cup) of heavy cream at the end, which I still consider an option. Spinach is added to hot pasta and then the whole pan is tossed with some pecorino romano (or parmesan).

What Pasta is Best for White Bean Pasta?

The pasta of choice is a short rigatoni, but penne pasta would also be a great choice. More importantly, look for a bronze cut pasta (from Italy).

What Beans to use for White Bean Pasta?

Use cannellini beans. I like to rinse them first in cold water.

The Veggies for White Bean Pasta

I made this dish to use up carrots and they are a great choice to accompany beans. It really depends on what you have on hand. I had an excess of carrots and spinach the day I first made this dish, and we really liked it like this. You could also make it with red bell pepper.

ANY kind of greens such as kale, swiss chard, or napa cabbage can work in this pasta dish, as they go great with beans. Add cherry tomatoes to the beans before you add the pasta. Play around. This is a flexible dish, but we do like it just as written.

This is not the first time I’ve put macaroni and white beans in a recipe. Some time ago, I made a white bean macaroni soup, also made very quickly.

Variations

Feel free to add any left over meat (ground meat) pulled pork, bacon, or Italian sausage to this recipe.

Similar Dishes

• Oven Roasted Duck Confit with Rosemary White Beans
• White Bean Macaroni Soup
• Chicken and White Bean Soup
• Easy Shrimp and White Bean Soup
• Snowcap Heirloom Bean Soup
• My Special Italian Bean Soup

Pin This