Penne & White Bean Sauce

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5 from 1 vote

Penne & White Bean Sauce

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Servings: Portions

Calories: 337kcal

Ingredients

1 box penne
10 oz yellow onions
15 oz celery
1 lb vine tomatoes
12 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 15.5 oz cans cannellini beans
1 cup fresh basil (about 2 handfuls) cut chiffonade
4 oz Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Instructions

Cook pasta according to box directions. Make sure pasta is al dente when finished so that it does not get mushy when added to the white bean sauce later on. Once pasta is done, rinse with cold water to remove excess starch and to stop the cooking process, set aside.
While pasta is cooking, chop onion, celery, and tomato roughly the same size as the cannellini beans.
Add olive oil to heat pan, warming oil over medium high heat. Once hot, saute onions for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, stir frequently to prevent burning. Once onions start to turn translucent, add celery, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the celery starts to get soft on the outside but still retain a crunch on the inside.
Add both cans of cannellini beans, liquid included. Let simmer for 7 minutes, until the beans are heated through and starting to slightly fall apart. Add tomatoes and basil and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Tomatoes should be releasing their juices.
Add pasta to sauce and heat through. When serving, garnish with a tbsp of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is also delicious with dried basil when fresh is not available. Just substitute with 3 TBS dried basil.

Want a healthier alternative? This recipe is also delicious when you substitute zucchini spirals instead of the penne. It will save you almost 200 calories and 42 carbs per serving and you won't be sacrificing taste. I do recommend cooking the zucchini for the meal you are eating and it does not reheat well.

Nutrition