How to Make Pasta with Spinach & Cannellini Beans

You know a recipe is good when your father says it reminds him of a dish his Italian mother made. Am I right? Well I don’t know if my Nonna (grandma in Italian) made this exact pasta with spinach and cannellini beans recipe, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was close!

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This easy and healthy pasta recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes and uses common ingredients found in any grocery store. Let’s get started!

Pasta with Spinach and Cannellini Beans

This recipe serves about 4 people. The cannellini beans which is a type of white bean, adds a nice source of fiber, and the spinach provides some healthy vitamins such as C.

This is one of my favorite Italian recipes when I don’t want a traditional marinara sauce or alfredo. It’s simple to prepare and follows the same cooking process as other recipes like my pasta with chicken and green olives recipe.

Simply cook the ingredients in one pan, pasta in another, then mix together and serve!

I Cooked This During an Eclipse

This recipe is so easy that I actually made it on my back deck (using an induction burner) while experiencing a full total solar eclipse. I’m not joking – I’ve included the full video below!

Yes I know, it’s not may usual in-the-kitchen style video but it was an amazing experience and I wanted to share it with my cooking audience.

This pasta with beans and spinach was the recipe I chose to create so we weren’t just standing around waiting for the sun to disappear and the sky to turn pitch dark.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients for making this pasta dish. Exact measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Pasta. I suggest using linguini or other long wide pasta type for this recipe. You can also use a penne which will work just as well.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Frozen spinach. Make sure the spinach is thawed otherwise it will take much longer to cook. I use the microwave to do this.
• Canned cannellini beans. Cannellini beans have a creamy consistency which makes them a perfect companion for spinach and pasta dishes.
• Onions, chopped fine. White, yellow, or vidalia onions are fine.
• Garlic. Crushed or sliced garlic is fine.
• Chicken stock. I don’t always use chicken stock in my recipes, but since we’re not using a sauce, it helps elevate and blend the cannellini beans and spinach flavors.
• Diced Tomatoes.You can use fresh tomatoes or canned.
• Italian Romano or Parmesan Cheese. I recommend using Romano, it has a stronger flavor and less goes further. But if Parm is all you have that’s fine too. With the grated cheese on top, you can’t go wrong.  It’s a true winner and I hope it is as well in your own household.

I have some good tips at the bottom which I encourage you to read.  They save you time and help you make this dish in 30 minutes or less. Yes, I said 30 minutes!

How to Make Pasta with Spinach and Cannellini Beans

Step 1. Start by getting your pasta water boiling. Add in the linguini and cook according to package instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.

Step 2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent about 5 – 8 minutes.

Step 3. Add in your crushed garlic and stir to coat with the olive oil. Allow it to cook over low heat until it is fragrant – about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4. Rinse and drain the cannellini beans and the tomatoes. Add them to the pan along with the spinach and broth.

Time Saving Tip: Thaw the spinach in the microwave before adding to the pan. This will save you lots of time.

Step 5. Increase heat to medium-low, stir and cover. Let it cook for 15 minutes.

Step 6. Once the pasta is finished cooking, remember to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then transfer the pasta directly to the saucepan.

Step 1. Mix everything together to blend the flavors. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Top with cheese and enjoy!

Other Spinach and Pasta Recipes You May Enjoy

Try making your own spinach and cheese manicotti recipe. It’s delicious and you can use store bought manicotti shells.

Enjoy this stuffed shells with ricotta and spinach recipe.

This may not have spinach, but you can use my authentic homemade manicotti crepes recipe and use a spinach and ricotta stuffing in it!

Side Dishes to Use

Here are some suggestions for side dishes that will go well with this recipe.

My Italian green bean recipe is a perfect side dish for pasta and bean dishes. Visit here if you don’t know what Italian flat green beans are.

As with any Italian pasta dish, I recommend an Italian salad. Here’s a list of different types of summer Italian salads.

Baked Italian breaded chicken breasts is a great way to add a 2nd course or to make the pasta more a side dish. I love serving pasta and chicken dishes together.