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Pasta with Beans and Spinach

The starting point for this is to have 2 cups of cooked beans in their cooking liquid. If using canned beans, use a combination of 1/2 cup broth (chicken or veggie) and half a cup of the pasta cooking water (in addition to the pasta cooking water below).

Ingredients

  • 2 cups / 2 cans cups / cans beans (cooked with their cooking water OR canned, rinsed)
    Entity
    beans
    Category
    legume
    Wikidata
    Q379813
    View ingredient
  • 4 cups spinach (loosely packed, well rinsed)
    Entity
    spinach
    Category
    vegetable
    Wikidata
    Q81464
    View ingredient
  • olive oil
    Entity
    olive oil
    Category
    fat
    Wikidata
    Q93165
    View ingredient
  • 1 lb pasta
    Entity
    pasta
    Category
    starch
    Wikidata
    Q3897473
    View ingredient
  • 1 onion (diced)
    Entity
    onion
    Category
    allium
    Wikidata
    Q23485
    View ingredient
  • 2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
    Entity
    garlic
    Category
    allium
    Wikidata
    Q23400
    View ingredient
  • pinch red pepper flakes
    Entity
    red pepper flakes
    Category
    spice
    Wikidata
    Q5190222
    View ingredient
  • 1/2 lemon
    Entity
    lemon
    Category
    fruit
    Wikidata
    Q2157233
    View ingredient
  • 1 tsp sage
    Entity
    sage
    Category
    herb
    Wikidata
    Q23769546
    View ingredient
  • 1 tsp thyme
    Entity
    thyme
    Category
    spice
    Wikidata
    Q148668
    View ingredient
  • Pasta cooking water as needed
  • salt
    Entity
    salt
    Category
    condiment
    Wikidata
    Q11254
    View ingredient
  • pepper
    Entity
    pepper
    Category
    spice
    Wikidata
    Q3143131
    View ingredient
  • Parmesan cheese
    Entity
    Parmesan cheese
    Category
    dairy
    Wikidata
    Q155922
    View ingredient

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Instructions

  1. Put on water for pasta.

  2. Sauté onions in the oil in a large skillet until translucent.

  3. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 more seconds while stirring.

  4. Add beans and their liquid with the sage, thyme and salt and pepper.

  5. Lower heat and simmer while waiting for the water for pasta to begin to boil.

  6. Add pasta to water.

  7. Mash about 1/2 of the beans in the pan, leaving the rest whole.

  8. If beans start to stick to pan, ladle in 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water at a time until you have a thick sauce and the beans are not in danger of sticking or browning on the pan bottom.

  9. Reserve a cup of the cooking water and drain the rest of the pasta.

  10. Add the spinach to the sauté pan. Add some of the reserved cooking water as necessary if too thick. Stir until the spinach is just wilted.

  11. Turn off the pan and remove from the heat.

  12. Add the juice from the lemon.

  13. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil. Toss to coat.

  14. Serve with shaved or grated parmesan.