Tuesdays and Thursdays have become pleasantly hectic lately. Laith has joined a football club and these are the days he’s out practising. Of course, practice is right around dinner time so I have to make dinner before I head out. There was one day when I didn’t and ended up frantically chopping and frying and we ate dinner at almost 9pm! Never again. These are the days where I am looking for very easy dinners to throw together, that taste good, where I don’t have to run out to buy an ingredient, and the children will actually eat. Pasta is a lifesaver when it comes to hurried meals. So, here’s my hurried pasta dish I improvised yesterday, it came out really well and I will probably make it again, one Tuesday or Thursday.
The quantities are not set in stone. Use as little or as much of an ingredient that you like. I added some olives to get a bright, briny flavour and I wished I had some capers. Capers will go well with this creamy, bean sauce. I also finished it off with some fresh lemon juice to brighten up the earthy, bean flavour.
Pasta with Cannellini Bean Sauce
1lb/454g pasta, any short tube like (penne, mostaccioli)
2 15.5oz/439g tins white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, roasted and peeled or use jarred
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup/60mL extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup basil leaves or parsley
1 cup mixed olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4-1/2 cup water from the boiled pasta to thin out sauce
salt and pepper
squeeze of lemon
Boil the pasta as directed on the package.
While the pasta is boiling, make the sauce in a blender.
In the blender jar, put in one tin of beans, half of the roasted pepper, 1/4 cup of the olives, 1/2 basil leaves, the garlic cloves and 1/4 cup olive oil.
Blend.
Thin out with a little of the pasta water, adding a little at a time to a consistency of your liking.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pan,
Add the sauce and the remaining tin of beans, olives, peppers, basil leaves and cheese.
Warm through and check for salt and pepper.
Squeeze some lemon before serving.
Serve with a green salad and you have a quick meal which is much healthier than driving through a takeout window (though I am quite sure Laith wouldn’t totally object to that either)
Hope you are all having a great week. I am excited because tonight my hubby and I are off to see the new Pompeii exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, after hours no less.
I have always been fascinated by Pompeii and look forward to visiting the real Pompeii one day. In the meantime I will console myself with a museum tour.
Love the combination of flavors in this pasta dish. So flavorful. Beautiful photo, too.
Thank you Julia! It turned out quite well for a spur of the moment recipe.
I missed your post some how! Anyway, it looks like Tuesday and Thursday soccer, that must be unusual? I know what you mean about needing quick dishes and this one looks really tasty. The capers would be a good addition, I’ll give it a try and add them in. I’ve always wanted to go to Pompeii, friends have told me its amazing. I hope the exhibition was good. GG
glamorous glutton recently posted..Game For Everyone
They have two weeknight practice nights and games on Saturday…which they lost today…again 🙁 It’s been going alright though..he gets nice and tired. This pasta was so easy, I mean blending the sauce, love it! Let me know how the capers work out.
Pompeii was great. It was kind of creepy/erie though. You could see all the ash still covering certain pieces and it was just sad. Then near the end of the exhibit, they actually had plaster casts of the forms of the people who died trying to escape. They were so sad. One exhibit was the actual skeletons of people who died taking shelter and you could see the little skulls of children with their mother/father shielding them. I had tears in my eyes. It was a great exhibit but I felt so sad when I left.
This bean sauce sounds like it makes this dish my friend, absolutely delicious 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Choc Chip Uru recently posted..I’m Back Bringing Spring
Thanks Uru. It’s pretty good and quick!
I agree Nazneen that when times are busy the best meal you can quickly put on the table is pasta. I love the look of this and I think the capers and the olives are a lovely touch xx
hotlyspiced recently posted..And the night goes on and on and on…
If I am organised enough I will have cooked something in advance, but that’s rarely the case with 4 kids and I know you know what I am talking about!
Bean sauce…..what a clever idea!!!! My kids love beans, and if I make this one, it’s going to turn me into their fav person of the day 😀 Loved it!
Please add it to my gala weekend dinner extravaganza…..I am tinking it will be a super hit. http://www.thelady8home.com/2012/09/20/weekend-gala-dinner-extravaganza-party-3/
thelady8home recently posted..Butternut Squash Sabzi – power food blogging
That’s great your kids love beans. Mine do and don’t..depending on their moods. I hope your kids like the pasta!
I agree – whenever we have some multiple activities in the evening, most likely we’ll settle with pasta. Those days kids eat less snack so they have big appetite and pasta seems to fit right in! I like that you mentioned capers because they are my favorite little things. 🙂
Nami | Just One Cookbook recently posted..Chicken Nanban Bento
Pasta is just so convenient it’s hard not to make it all the time! Unfortunately, for some reason, my little one does not like pasta. Makes it tough on me *sigh*
A fabulous pasta dish! So tasty and that sauce is really original.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you Rosa!
Hi Nanzneen! =D
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog!
I hve never thought of making a bean sauce with pasta. I always have the impression it might be too heavy of a dish at the end, but looking at your pasta dish, I feel I should rethink and give it a try.
Thanks Helene. It was pretty good and so quick, that’s what I really loved about it.
A must pin!
Thanks babe!
Does the sauce have an overpowering olive flavor? Wondering if I can pass this by my kids….
Nah. You can’t taste it in the sauce. However, if your olive oil is strong, like mine, than yes you might. You can always just use a neutral flavour oil if you want. Re will eat it, don’t know about Samar, she will want to wipe off the sauce!
Now THAT is a great idea!!! I’m so excited about this dish, I’m going to try it for sure, maybe I have a chance to make my son eat some beans without notice!
I love the picture of your son playing soccer, next yearwe will try too..
Have a great night today!
Eri recently posted..A "smart" Mac n Cheese
That was my thinking too, try and get some protein in without advertising the beans!
You can add meat to it too, I just didn’t have the time yesterday.
I am sure your son will love soccer, mine has a great time running around and expending some energy.