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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish Recipes

    Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens

    Modified: Dec 18, 2016 · Published: Jul 27, 2009 by Ashley

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    This was hands down one of the best new recipes I've made in a long time. WOW! It has a lot of my favorite ingredients - pasta, tomatoes, beans and garlic. I couldn't find arugula, so I ended up getting a mixed bag of greens, and I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy them warm. It ended up being fantastic - the tomatoes get just soft enough to melt in your mouth while still having some texture to them, and it has the perfect amount of garlic. I substituted bucatini for the spaghetti. The beans add a great textural contrast to the tomatoes, and the lemon juice is really key in bringing it all together. This dish is just wonderful, and I highly recommend it. My tiny kitchen got insanely hot while I was boiling the pasta for this dish, but it was most definitely worth it!

    A bowl of pasta with greens and tomatoes.

    Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens
    Cooking Light August 2009

    Canned beans are a great pantry staple with lots of protein and fiber. To help reduce sodium in regular canned beans, we rinse and drain them.

    6 servings (serving size: about 1 ⅓ cups)
    8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
    ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
    3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
    ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
    1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
    5 ounces arugula leaves
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    ½ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

    1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving ½ cup pasta water. Place pasta in a small bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, tossing gently. Set aside, and keep warm.

    2. Return pan to medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining ½ teaspoon salt, tomatoes, and beans; cook 2 minutes. Add pasta; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add reserved pasta water and arugula, tossing gently to combine. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and cheese. Serve immediately.

    Nutritional notes:
    Calories: 290
    Fat: 10.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 5.8g,poly 1.3g)
    Protein: 11.3g
    Carbohydrate: 38.1g
    Fiber: 3.7g
    Cholesterol: 8mg
    Iron: 2.4mg
    Sodium: 469mg
    Calcium: 173mg

    MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katy ~

      August 01, 2009 at 6:05 am

      Pasta is so good and so adaptable; this does sound very very good. Perfect for a weeknight meal, I think, as well. YUM!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Ashley and I’ve been writing about food & recipes here at Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen since 2006. I want to help you (yes, you!) gain confidence in the kitchen so you are excited to cook at home for yourself and your loved ones.

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