creamy white bean pasta

makes 4-6 servings

ingredients

• 1 lb pasta (rotini, radiator, bowtie, etc- something sauce can cling to)
• 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
• EITHER
  1. 1 cube tomato chicken bouillon (~1.5 tsp granulated), OR
  2. 1 cup chicken stock AND 1 cup tomatoes (crushed, puree, juice, whole then blended, whatever) (untested)
• ~3-4 tbsp tomato paste (follow your heart)
• 3+ large cloves of garlic (follow your heart)
• 1 yellow onion (optional)
• spices: i used a pinch of whole fennel, cumin, and black pepper
• optional herbs: basil, parsley
• juice of half of lemon
• olive oil
• a parmesan-like cheese, grated, for topping

directions

1. boil pasta water, plus 1 extra cup if using bouillon
2. crisp the cannellini beans in the oven with oil (can skip if only using 1 can)
3. mince garlic and thinly slice onions, prep optional herbs
4. if using bouillon, use 1 cup of boiled water to prepare it. if using tomatoes, make sure they are close to liquid in texture
5. heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a high-sided pan
6. if using onions, saute on medium until translucent and starting to brown, then move to side of pan
7. cook the pasta
8. heat another 1-2 tbsp of olive oil for the garlic, increase heat to medium high
9. add minced garlic and stir, frying until just starting to turn golden, adding any whole spices about halfway through
10. add tomato paste (and any ground spices) and fry until the color deepens and oil turns red. mix the seasoned paste with the onions
11. throw in the cannellini beans, adding a little more oil if needed, and let them fry with the seasoning base for a few minutes (longer if you didn't crisp them in the oven). if using stock and tomatoes, add salt to taste
12. add the bouillon (plus 1 extra cup of water) or broth and tomatoes. stir to make sure nothing is stuck. let cook on medium high, uncovered, stirring occasionally. some of the beans should start to break down. again, if using stock and tomatoes, salt to taste
13. once the pasta is al dente, drain and toss into the beans (plus a little pasta water), and stir to combine
14. cook the pasta in the sauce for a few minutes, adding herbs and lemon juice to finish and extra black pepper to taste. the pasta should absorb some of the liquid and the whole thing should be creamy
15. serve with cheese

would also recommend with za'atar as topping, but i'm putting it on everything right now so that may just be me