Cannellini Beans w/ Spinach and Pasta

The starting point for this is to have 2 cups of cooked beans in their cooking liquid. If using canned beans, use a combination of 1/2 cup broth (chicken or veggie) and half a cup of the pasta cooking water (in addition to the pasta cooking water below).

• 2 cups cooked beans with their cooking water OR 2 cans of beans, rinsed

• 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach, well rinsed

• olive oil

• 1 lb pasta (Orecchiette works well)

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

• pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1/2 lemon

• 1 tsp sage

• 1 tsp thyme

• reserved Pasta cooking water as needed

• salt

• pepper

• parmesan cheese
  

1. Put on water for pasta

2. Saute onions the oil in a large skillet until translucent

3. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 more seconds while stirring

4. Add beans and their liquid with the sage, thyme and salt and pepper

5. Lower heat and simmer while waiting for water for pasta begins to boil.

6. Add pasta to water

7. Mash about 1/2 of the beans in the pan, leaving the rest whole.

8. If beans start to stick to pan, ladle in 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water at a time until you have a thick sauce and the beans are not in danger of sticking or browning on the pan bottom

9. Reserve a cup of the cooking water and drain the rest of the pasta

10. Add the spinach to the sauté pan. Add some of the reserved cooking water as necessary if too thick. Stir until the spinach is just wilted.

11. Turn off the pan and remove from the heat.

12. Add the juice from the lemon.

13. add the cooked pasta to the pan and 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil. Toss to coat

14. serve with shaved or grated parmesan