I literally just invented and made this creamy zucchini and cannellini bean pasta and the whole family devoured it. I love it when I’m running out of ideas and I create a delicious dish out of what I have in my pantry.
This zucchini and cannellini bean pasta recipe is just what a busy mom needs: quick, super easy, and comfort-food type. As a plus which doesn’t harm anyone, it’s also very affordable.
This is not a one-pot cannellini pasta recipe because we wouldn’t have the same result of browned zucchini which I think perfectly combines with the beans.
Creamy zucchini and cannellini bean pasta ingredients – Tips
- Zucchini. This is a summer veggie, so in winter when they are out of season, you might want to switch it with another veggie. I think pumpkin works great. Among the nutritional benefits of the zucchini are folate, vitamin A, potassium, and fiber.
- Cannellini beans. For this creamy zucchini and cannellini bean pasta recipe, I used canned beans. But if you have dry beans that you want to cook yourself, that’s even better. Make sure you soak them for a night and keep some of their cooking water to make them moist when making this pasta dish. Needless to say, cannellini beans have tons of nutritional benefits including proteins, fiber, folate, and iron.
- Tomatoes. I added very little tomato sauce but this is really optional. If you don’t have tomato sauce, it’s great also without, or with a teaspoon of tomato paste or, if you have them fresh, a few cherry tomatoes cut in half to add some juice. Actually, I think fresh cherry tomatoes will combine much better than tomato sauce or paste.
- Pasta. I opted for short pasta and as always, whole-grain. Since this recipe includes bigger pieces of veggies, I like a type of pasta such as rigatoni or paccheri so that the zucchini or the beans stick into it.
Creamy zucchini and cannellini bean pasta instructions – Tips
- Browning the zucchini. When you brown the zucchini you need to pay close attention because they can burn quickly. I suggest you don’t add water because otherwise, they would taste like boiled instead of crispy browned, but then you need to be very careful. Stir often but not all the time, let them sit and brown and before they burn, stir and let the next brown.
- Blending the beans. When you blend the beans, I suggest adding a bit of the pasta cooking water to make it creamier but not too much otherwise it will become too liquid. Add it gradually so that you can measure it better.
- Serving options. You can decide to serve your pasta on a bed of cannellini cream or to incorporate the cream into the pan with the rest of the ingredients and the pasta itself to sauté everything together. Also, when you are incorporating the zucchini into the pan to sauté them with the other ingredients, you can choose to add only half and then share the rest directly on the dishes.
- Optional additions. When serving, you can add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper. They both combine very well with the recipe. Finally, you can sprinkle some grated parmesan or gomasio if you are following a plant-based diet. We didn’t add either because we thought black pepper was enough!
Variations
- Different herbs. You can try different herbs. Instead or in addition to the oregano, you can try thyme or fresh basil.
- Spices. If you like it spicy, you can try this creamy zucchini and cannellini bean pasta recipe with curry, I think it will work well!
Creamy Zucchini and Cannellini Bean Pasta
A quick and easy pasta with sauteed zucchini and cannellini cream.
Equipment
- 1 Large pan
- 1 Blender
- 1 pot
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini or 3 medium
- 1 can of cannellini beans around 300 grams
- 2 cloves of garlic peeled
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- salt to taste
- chili flakes to taste optional
- oregano to taste optional
- 3 tbsp tomato sauce optional
- parmesan or gomasio to taste optional
Instructions
- Cut the zucchini into small cubes.
- Put the garlic to brown with the olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Put the water for the pasta on the fire and when it boils cook the pasta following the package instructions.
- When the garlic is brown, add the zucchini and let them brown. Add a pinch of salt and stir often. You don't want to burn them but you want them brown, so don't add water.
- In the meantime, if you are using canned cannellini beans, drain them and wash them properly.
- When the zucchini are brown, remove them from the pan and set them aside.
- Heat up the remaining oil in a pan with the garlic. You can use the same garlic you used for the zucchini. When hot, add the cannellini beans and a pinch of salt and sautée them for a minute.
- If you are using it, add the chili flakes and the oregano to taste and the tomato sauce and keep stirring.
- When the cannellini beans are fully mixed and combined, blend a part of it. To make it more creamy, add a spoon or two of the cooking water of the pasta. Depending on how you want to serve the pasta, you can blend the beans directly into the pan or by placing a part of them in a separate bowl.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the pan with the beans. Mix well, add the zucchini, and serve warm with a sprinkle of parmesan or gomasio.
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