Beans and Pasta with Spinach Sauce
Made with frozen spinach, this Beans and Pasta with Spinach Sauce dish is easy, tasty, and healthy. It is a dairy-free meal that can be on the table in 15 minutes.
A delicious and nutritious meal that I love to make is Beans and Pasta with Spinach Sauce. The spinach sauce is rich, so tasty, and creamy. And, it is made with frozen spinach! When this sauce is paired with fusilli pasta and cannellini beans, the resulting dish is so satisfying.
This dish is so easy to prepare. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner in the kitchen, this recipe is easy to master. So, let’s dive into the details of how to create this tasty dish!
What are the ingredients needed to make this Beans and Pasta with Spinach Sauce?
I used only 10 ingredients to make this dish, along with salt, pepper, and oil. And, 3 of the ingredients I used are optional. The 10 ingredients are:
- Spinach
I used frozen spinach to make the sauce for this Beans and Pasta with Spinach Sauce. You could use fresh spinach, but I like to buy frozen spinach as I do not need to worry about it wilting, and it is so budget-friendly. If you would rather use frozen kale instead of spinach, by all means, please do so.
- Onion
Fresh onion is perfect for this dish. The onion does not need to be chopped finely or well as, after a quick sauté, it will be going into a blender, along with the other ingredients for the spinach sauce for this dish. - Ginger
I like to use fresh ginger in this dish and not ginger powder. Most grocery stores also have containers of peeled and cut ginger, and this could be used as well. - Garlic cloves
As with the fresh ginger, fresh garlic is a must in this recipe. And, you can also find pre-peeled and pre-cut ginger in the produce section of most grocery stores. - Coconut milk
These days I have been using embē coconut milk in everything from curries to sauces like this one. I am not being paid to say this, I am just loving this brand of coconut milk right now as it is thick and creamy and never gritty, like some coconut milk can be.
- Coriander (optional)
I used powdered coriander in this dish. While coriander greatly enhances the flavor of this sauce, it is an optional ingredient and can be left out completely. - Turmeric (optional)
I used just a tad bit of powdered turmeric in this dish. But it is another optional ingredient. - Smoked paprika (optional)
This ingredient adds so much flavor to this dish. But, it too is an optional ingredient. - Fusilli pasta
I had fusilli on hand. But, any kind of pasta can be used in this dish, from penne to spaghetti to a high-protein pasta. - Cannellini beans
I wanted to add some plant-based protein to this dish, so I added some canned beans. If you would rather use kidney beans, great northern beans, or black beans instead of cannellini, feel free to do so. Though I must add, if you are making this dish for St Patrick’s Day or any green-themed meal/gathering, white beans tend to work better than any other brightly colored ones. However, if beans are not your thing, cooked chicken can also be used instead.
I also used grapeseed oil to sauté the ingredients for the sauce. And, I used some salt and black pepper to season this. I garnished this delectable meal with some dried parsley, but that is totally optional. You could garnish this dish with Parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes.
Instructions:
I mentioned earlier that this dish is an easy one to make. The hardest part is peeling and roughly chopping the onion, ginger, and garlic.
I started by bringing some water to boil in a large pot. To this, I added the pasta and cooked it (according to the package directions) until it was al dente. Then I drained it and saved some of the pasta water.
While the pasta was boiling, I sautéd the onion, ginger, and garlic for about 5 minutes or so in a large skillet over medium heat.
Then, I added the spices and frozen spinach to the onion mixture. As soon as the spinach was warmed through, I added these ingredients to a blender, along with the reserved pasta water and coconut milk, and blended it until smooth.
Then I added this vibrant and delicious spinach sauce to the drained cannellini beans and cooked pasta, and this dish was ready to enjoy!
What to pair with this dish?
You could serve this dish as is. Or, you could fancy it up and serve it with some hot honey broccoli, some fresh tomatoes, some sauteed asparagus, and/or your favorite roasted vegetable.
You could also serve this with some chicken or fish.
How do you store leftovers of this dish?
I stored leftovers of this dish in an air-tight container, in the fridge. This dish will last for about a week to ten days in the fridge.
Can you freeze this dish of Beans and Pasta with Spinach Sauce?
Yes, this dish can be frozen. Just make sure to place any leftovers in an air-tight container and freeze until needed.
When thawing, remove it from the freezer and defrost it in the fridge. Then reheat in a microwave or stove top, until warmed through.
I know green food might not rock your boat. But I hope you do give this Beans and Pasta with Spinach Sauce a try. This healthy and tasty dish is one of my favorites, and I hope it will be one of yours as well.
Thanks so much for stopping by. If you make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think of it, or tag your creation on social media with @savoryspin or #savoryspin. For more fusion, spice-filled, recipe ideas, please subscribe and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil I used olive oil
- 1 15- oz package of frozen spinach
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 inch chunk of ginger
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 3 teaspoons coriander optional
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric optional
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika optional
- 3 cups cooked pasta
- 1 15- oz can of cannellini beans
- salt and pepper to taste
- dried parsley or chili flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions, making sure to save 1–2 cups of pasta water.
- Drain the cannellini beans, rinse them well, and set aside.
- Peel and roughly chop the onion, ginger, and garlic.
- Add the oil to a large skillet.
- Then add the peeled and chopped onion, ginger, and garlic to the skillet and let sauté about 5 minutes.
- Add the coriander, smoked paprika, and turmeric (if using the spices) to the onion mixture. Also, add in the frozen spinach.
- Let spinach and other ingredients sauté for about 2–3 minutes, or until spinach is warmed.
- Then add the sautéed spinach and ingredients to a blender. Also, add in the coconut milk and reserved pasta water to the blender and blend until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the spinach sauce to the cooked pasta and the cannellini beans and mix well.
- Serve warm, garnished with dried parsley.
Any green sauce is automatically my favorite, and this one did not disappoint! It’s perfectly fresh and creamy which is just what I love in pastas!
We are always looking for new ways to use beans and this was amazing. Total comfort food.
Such a great way to use spinach – love it! Thank you for this recipe!
The combination of the creamy spinach sauce with the hearty beans and pasta creates a satisfying meal. It’s a great option for a quick and nutritious dinner.
I love simple pasta meals like this – so easy, but packed with so much flavor! ♥
I love both legumes and pasta (of course!), but I need to combine these two things yet. This looks and sounds inviting; I love the use of coconut milk and spices in this fusion recipe!
That spinach sauce is such a fun idea for pasta! We are huge pasta lovers in our house (I mean Laura is part-Italian after all), so this sounds like a really fun way to mix things up a bit. A good creamy pasta sauce is always a winner!!
That looks so good! I do love the combination of pasta and spinach and for some reason I never thought to use frozen spinach. Great idea and so much easier too!