Pasta in Tomato Sauce With White Beans and Spinach

Submitted by Spice Princess

"The other night I wanted pasta and beans, but not like a soup. I looked through some recipes and nothing was quite what I wanted -- so I threw this together, and it rocked! You can vary the herbs according to what you have handy, and use any type of white bean (navy, cannellini, great northern, etc). Any extra sauce can be kept in the fridge and reheated -- just be sure to add a little of the starchy pasta water if needed to thin it out, as it gets pretty thick and clumpy."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small carrot, minced
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 2 cups cooked white beans
• 1⁄4 cup sun-dried tomato, chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh savory, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces whole wheat pasta, cooked
• 1⁄4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When it's done, drain and reserve a little of the cooking water (1/2 cup or so). Return to the pot and keep warm while the sauce cooks.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs to the pot and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat while the pasta cooks. Toward the end of the cooking time, add the spinach to the sauce and cook just until heated through.
3. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix thoroughly, adding enough of the pasta water to make the sauce the consistency you like. Serve hot, garnished with the grated Parmesan.