This tasty penne pasta recipe with white beans comes together quickly for an easy, healthy weeknight dinner. Made with whole-grain penne, veggies, and hearty Great Northern beans, this easy pasta recipe is a satisfying family meal!
Serve as a main course on Meatless Mondays or as a side dish any day of the week.
We’ve been trying to eat more healthily this winter, which can be difficult, since the cold makes us crave warm, comforting foods like pot roast and chicken noodle soup.
I first made this pasta recipe on a day when our fridge was half empty, and I had cranky, hungry family members to feed.
I didn’t have time to defrost any meat, and just needed something filling to be ready fast!
Making Quick Penne Pasta with White Beans
I started boiling water in a big stockpot for the pasta. Then I heated extra virgin olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Not really knowing what I was doing, I pulled veggies out of the fridge–half of a huge onion, a few Roma tomatoes, and wilted kale. I also grabbed whole-grain penne pasta and a can of beans from the pantry to help round out the meal.
The onions got chopped first and tossed into the skillet. Next, the garlic, and then the tomatoes.
Finally I stripped the kale off the stalks, chopped it, and added it to the skillet along with the drained can of Great Northern beans.
I also added a splash of white wine vinegar to brighten up the flavor and add a little tang to the beans.
I let the veggies simmer gently on low heat while I waited for the pasta to be done. Because I snuck in used whole-grain pasta, I let it boil a bit longer than I normally would so that it would get really soft and not be too toothsome.
I like using a bamboo skimmer to get the pasta out of the water rather than draining it in a colander because I sometimes need the pasta water to create a sauce.
A good amount of pasta water was trapped inside the penne, so I didn’t need to add very much from the stockpot.
Just enough to get it all to come together.
I let everything simmer together for about a minute more, and it was done!
The Verdict
The whole family loved this healthy pasta recipe, even my two-year-old!
I was thrilled that I found a way to make whole-grain pasta palatable for my whole-grain-pasta-hating husband, and that I was able to make a filling vegetarian pasta recipe in under half an hour!
Recipe for Quick Penne Pasta with White Beans
Print this easy vegetarian pasta recipe and try it out today!
Quick Penne Pasta with White Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lb penne pasta whole grain
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup diced tomatoes fresh or canned
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2-3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt & pepper to taste
- pasta water as needed
Instructions
- Prepare penne according to package directions. Salt the cooking water before adding the penne.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, warm extra virgin olive oil on medium heat. Sauté diced onion in the oil until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle in salt & pepper to taste.
- Add the garlic and sauté for a minute.
- Mix in the tomatoes and oregano and let simmer for a couple minutes.
- Toss the kale and beans into the skillet, and sprinkle in the white wine vinegar. Sauté the mixture until the kale is wilted. Then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for five minutes or until the pasta is ready.
- Using a bamboo skimmer, lift the pasta out of the cooking water and add to the skillet with the simmering veggies. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and gently stir until the sauce begins to thicken and the pasta is glistening. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water if the dish looks too dry and gently stir again for another minute.
Additions and substitutions
Customize this dish to whatever you have in the pantry!
- Don’t have fresh tomatoes? Use a can of diced tomatoes.
- Don’t have Great Northern beans? Nearly any type of bean will work in its place.
- Not a fan of kale? Leave it out or sub in spinach.
- Want to punch up the flavor? Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley or a mixture of fresh herbs.
- Regular penne can be substituted for the whole grain penne.
- Need some meat? Add 1 cup of diced, cooked chicken at the same time as the beans.
Serving Suggestions
For an easy dinner party menu, serve this penne pasta with white beans alongside roast chicken, a simple Italian salad, and toasted French baguette slices with cheese.
Top the pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and finely chopped parsley.
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