Ingredients
- 500 g dry pasta of choice (e.g. rigatoni, farfalle)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 x 400 g can organic butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth (250 ml)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan (or pecorino), plus more for serving
- 2-3 handfuls fresh arugula
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- About 1/4 cup or more reserved pasta cooking water (60-125 ml)
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large deep-side non-stick skillet (or wok), heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high.
- Add the garlic and beans, and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. Season with a few pinches of salt and some ground pepper.
- Add the broth to the skillet with the beans and simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until a little of the broth has been absorbed and the liquid looks a slight bit thickener .
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions, until al dente. When the pasta is finished cooking, reserve some of the pasta cooking water for the sauce, then drain.
- Add the pasta to the skillet with the beans, then add the lemon juice, parmesan, arugula and red pepper flakes.
- Toss to combine, then add a splash of the reserved pasta water at a time until it is nice and saucy. Let the arugula wilt.
- Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve into bowls, along with extra parmesan on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- A word about parmesan. Although I’d like to say this recipe is vegetarian, Parmigiano Reggiano is actually not vegetarian. Neither is Pecorino Romano. Both are made with animal rennet, one from a calf, the other with lamb. So if you are following a strict vegetarian diet, look for a vegetarian or vegan “parmesan” product at your local organic food store. Or simply replace the parmesan with nutritional yeast. This is my favourite vegan hack to replace that parmesan like flavour in recipes.
- I especially love the taste of peppery arugula with lemon and parmesan (those three things plus a splash of my favourite olive oil are a regular salad for me!) but spinach would also taste great here. And I find young arugula leaves less bitter, so often choose them for pasta recipes.
- As for leftovers of this pasta with white beans recipe, I sometimes simply make a pasta salad out of them add added a handful of rucola leaves, some roasted vegetables (a mix of sweet potato, parsnip, carrot and red onion tossed with my new favourite spice mix) plus a squeeze of lemon at the end.