Cannellini Beans w/ Roasted Tomato Sauce and Rigatoni

20 May 2018

I use canned cannellini beans a lot these days. On most days I have a container of remnant beans in the refrigerator to be added to salads or cooked as I will now describe to you. I find them so creamy and delicious.

This recipe came about as I cleaned the fridge. I had some slightly wilted bitter greens ( baby arugula kale and spinach ) and some cherry tomatoes on the counter. The tomatoes I cut in half and roasted in the oven with some Italian spices and olive oil until they were soft and a little dark on the edges.

In a frying pan, I began the process by adding olive oil--a fair amount, because I like olive oil--2 thinly sliced garlic cloves, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and a little anchovy paste. This I cooked until it was fragrant. I chopped some parsley finely to add to the meal at the end.

Once the garlic, oil, and flakes have warmed up, add the greens and fry-simmer on a low heat until it wilts. Now add the roasted tomatoes and a small amount of tomato paste with the cannellini beans in the pan. Crush a few beans into the pan to make a more creamy sauce. A nice sauce should develop, the liquid will slowly thicken so watch carefully.

Boil the pasta separately till al dente. Any pasta shape will due.

Now add the pasta to the sauce, toss, and plate when ready. If you need a thinker sauce, add some of the pasta water to the pan.

Ingredients:

2-4 cups assorted greens - remember it shrinks a lot
1 can white kidney beans or cannellini beans
2-4 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-4 peeled and thinly sliced garlic cloves
1-4 cups dried rigatoni pasta ( any pasta shape you like )
1-4 cups cherry tomatoes roasted
Parsley to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkle of Italian spices to taste
Pasta water for thinning the sauce if necessary

Method: Described above. Remember this method works in so many combinations. Play around until you find a combination you like. For example, the mushroom cannellini bean on a salad I did last week, shown above.

I hope you enjoy!

~ Hugs from Mum