Creamy Tomato-Basil Pasta with White Beans

Ingredients

Quantities are for 4 servings.

• 1 lb Pasta (penne or rotini)
• 1 can (15 oz) Cannellini beans, canned
• 1 can (28 oz) Diced tomatoes, canned
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 each Yellow onion
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 bunch Fresh basil
• 3 oz Baby spinach
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously (it should taste like the sea). Cook the pasta until al dente per the package directions. Before draining, scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water — it helps the sauce come together later.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the diced onion in the olive oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more, stirring, until fragrant.
3. Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices) and the drained and rinsed cannellini beans. Simmer 8 minutes, pressing some of the beans against the side of the pan with a spoon to help thicken the sauce.
4. Stir in the heavy cream, parmesan, and spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts and the sauce turns creamy, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water if it looks too thick.
5. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Tear the basil leaves by hand and stir in. Serve with extra parmesan on top.