Creamy Tuscan White Bean Pasta.
Like, really supercalifragilistic extra dramatic?
Well… this is no exception. This pasta is incredibly delicious… like climb-to-the-top-of-a-mountain-for-it delicious. Like push-away-the-chocolate-chip-covered-peanut-butter-spoon delicious. Like, maybe-I-don’t-even-want-pizza delicious. Like even-though-I-want-to-emotionally-eat-an-entire-cheesecake-because-I-waited-a-full-8-hours-for-the-Lowes-delivery-truck-to-bring-home-my-new-washer-then-watched-them-pull-up-to-the-wrong-house,-knock,-then-DRIVE-AWAY-but-it’s-okay,-I’ll-have-this-pasta-and-stay-calm delicious. Â Like even-though-I-still-don’t-have-a-washing-machine-and-want-to-ingest-three-bottles-of-wine-but-will-take-this-pasta-instead delicious.
In other words… it’s delicious.
Ooooh and it’s a perfect way to cram some veggies into your face! Open wide.
And!
In an act of pure desperation, we added some leftover cheddar beer crockpot chicken to this one night as we reheated it for dinner… because I do NOT tell a lie when I say that the guy I live with refuses to eat anything meatless.
I’m not even joking a little bit. Even though this is loaded with beans. Even though it has pancetta. Even though. Ugh.
Help me.
Oh. That was good by the way.
This meal was inspired by my favorite Trader Joe’s hummus that lasts approximately 21 hours in this house. Funny… because this pasta only lasted about 21 hours too.
What can I say… these little piggies went to market.
Creamy Tuscan White Bean Pasta
serves 4
2 cups whole wheat pasta
1/4 cup chopped pancetta
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups fresh spinach
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes
5-6 artichoke hearts, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans
10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 can (15 oz) skim evaporated milk
1/2 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Boil water and prepare pasta as directed on the package.
While water is boiling/pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until crispy and fat is rendered, then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Reduce heat in the skillet to medium-low and add onions, stirring to coat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until softened, then add in garlic and spinach, stirring until the spinach wilts. Add in peppers, tomatoes, artichokes and beans, stirring to mix. By this time the pasta should be done, and you can drain it and add it to the skillet with everything else. Reduce heat to low and stir every few minutes while you make the sauce.
Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and cook until golden and fragrant. Add in milks, allow the mixture to come to a boil while stirring continuously, then reduce to a simmer and stir for another 5-7 minutes until it thickens a bit. Reduce to low and add parmesan cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Pour cream sauce into skillet over top of vegetables, pasta and beans, then add in bacon and basil. Stir to mix, then transfer to a large serving dish and eat!
This makes me hungry.
120 Comments on “Creamy Tuscan White Bean Pasta.”
I know how you love that TJs white bean hummus (and every time I pass the refrigerated case and see it at TJs I think of you)…so I know this must have been awesome for you.
However, I am still stuck on the grapes, goat cheese, and sweet tater. I have been thinking about it since you posted it yesterday. Seriously.
I want to know how the heck you eat all of this amazingness and still look so dang cute?! I think that should be included on next week’s favorites! …and please don’t let it be, I work out all.the.time. ;-)
P.S. I just wrote everything on that list down to grab at the store. I am making this asap!
This looks and sounds just incredible!!! Totally, totally adding it to my must-make list!
This makes me hungry too – even at 6 in the morning! :)
Love the brightness, looks like a recipe winner to me!
White beans are my life at the moment. Making this asap.
That pasta looks so creamy and delicious, I’d be over excited about it too!
Yum. Is it wrong to be craving this at 7am?
You have to be the most creative food blogger on the net, Jessica! Seriously, this looks AMAZING! Yes- I said amazing even though it is one of the top ten “out” words this year! ;-)
Uh oh… someone needs to clue me in on what the “out” words are. I probably use them all.
This looks delicious!! Just wondering if you think it would be just as good with bacon instead of pancetta? Or would that give the dish an entirely different flavor? I am not sure since I have never cooked with/eaten pancetta before!
Yes definitely! I would use 1-2 slices.
Do you know how much I love you right now?!?! I’m in a dinner slump and have very little in the fridge/pantry (food shopping day is tomorrow). BUT I have almost everything I need to make this. Looks fanflippingtastic!
this looks great. i cant wait to make this next week!
This pasta dish looks so amazing and so creamy! I need to pick up a few ingredients and make this wonderful dish for dinner! Wish I had some for lunch today, it would be perfect!
Thats looks amazing. Very inviting
i still haven’t tried the carmelized chicken with the cream sauce and now you go and throw in something else. i’ve been thinking about that sauce all week. must. make. this. soon.
You had me at creamy! I need to make this.
Looks delish!
that makes me hungry too. i think i need more pasta and beans at breakfast!
Looks so delicious! My husband is the same way, I’d have to put 2 pounds of pancetta in to make it acceptable. And then he’d eat it and say, “I like all the bacon in this.”
OMG! WANT WANT WANT!
If there are leftovers, I’ll be over for lunch! This looks too good to pass up! YUM!
Looks just perfect!! Anything with orecchiette is already completely tempting but loving the low-fat creaminess and addition of beans here!
WHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT? holy. mother. of. all. the babies. that. drink. the. morning. dew. I. want. this.
This makes me hungry too! The pasta looks like the same kind I had in Italy this Christmas.. I believe it’s called orechiette because it’s shaped like small ears and in Italian, orecchio means ear. Ok, language lesson done. Let’s eat!! :)
You are correct! I always freak myself out calling them little ears, haha.
Yes please. Even though I just made baked pasta, I need to make this ASAP!
Yummy! I’m going to bookmark this recipe. I love Pasta!
O.M.G. Get in my belly, Creamy Tuscan White Bean Pasta!
I love adding white beans and artichokes to pasta dishes so I love this!
*making grocery list*
I had to run down my street once to chase the oil delivery truck because we ran out of oil (again). And I couldn’t wait another 3 days for fear I would be found frozen and surrounded by an embarrassing amount of chocolate wrappers. I was making Christmas cookies, I had a good excuse! (One I wouldn’t be able to explain though, had I been found frozen. You see how bad this could have been?)
I’m addicted to that humus to so this is an obvious win in my book
Oh, this makes me hungry, too! I’ll just have to make it one night when our daughter is away because she can’t stand beans. Imagine that!
Personally, I like your drama. Don’t go changin’.
Still no washer?! What is it with our appliances going to pot lately?? They certainly don’t make things like they used to!
Yikes, I sound like an old woman…
Wow, I can’t believe I’ve been reading your blog for one year! Time flies by so quickly and in that time, I’ve learned to cook so many things that I thought I could ever cook and it’s all thanks to you and your lovely blog! So, I definitely can’t wait to try this out, I’m going to buy ingredients I need later on in the day! It’s 1AM in Sydney and I’m feeling reallllly hungry -____-
<3<3
the guy i live with refuses to eat anything without meat as well. he literally threw a tantrum last saturday morning when we went to a breakfast spot that turned out to be vegetarian and he couldn’t have sausage with his french toast. i mean you would have thought they cut off his left arm.
I want. I want. I want.
That hummus is the best hummus out there hands down. I can’t even imagine how amazing this pasta is.
Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Um…This makes me hungry too. Looks delicious!!
I think I can make this recipe work with gluten-free pasta! It sounds delish! Aaaaannnddd because I also live with a carnivore, I could add some canned or rotisserie chicken to the mix! =)
You….dramatic? Pshhhh! This looks and sounds excellent!! I am a big fan of beans in pasta and love how creamy this is. Sorry about the W/D…so annoying!! I remember that happening with different things for about 3 months after we moved in to our house. Bahhh
Sounds delicious! I have been loving white beans lately and adding them to all sorts of things – pasta, salad, etc. Sooo good!
Cramming veggies into my face never sounded (or looked!) so good to me in my life!
Whoaaaaa. That looks so good! And so photogenic!
omg Jessica… first of all this looks amazing and I love your little white bowls (anthro I think???!) and I’m sorry I just have to say that THIS is exactly how I feel every single day for the last 2.5 years and probably for the rest of my life LOL:
“because I do NOT tell a lie when I say that the guy I live with refuses to eat anything meatless.
I’m not even joking a little bit. Even though this is loaded with beans. Even though it has pancetta. Even though. Ugh.
Help me.”
STORY OF MY LIFE… save me
this looks great! i’ve only recently started eating white beans–and i have no idea why. they are great! can’t wait to add this to my rotation.
Somehow you just made me crave white beans…is that even possible?
Mmmm this looks like a pure comfort dish. I love orechiette :) I’m all about pasta shapes (they don’t all taste the same!) ha ha
Ah man and his need for meat. I can relate!
love white beans, love pancetta and love pasta. this is a dish that i must make soon.
Hummus lasts no time in my house too! And I don’t know if I could control myself on this…the creaminess makes me excited!
So… I know you’re probably gonna be super mad and stuff but I’m not the biggest fan of sun-dried tomatoes. I KNOW, I know. So can I omit these entirely or can I sub something else in for them? This look incredible, by the way.