Sunday I made the Farfalle with Arugula and White Beans recipe from Everyday Food: Fresh Flavors Fast. I was very pleased with the outcome of this recipe. It was fresh. It was fast. It was mighty tasty. Not eating meat never tasted so good! We even had a major carnivore over for dinner that night and he loved it as well. I will definitely be adding this recipe to our regular rotation!
Here’s the recipe, with my various notes. Enjoy!
Pasta with Arugula (or Spinach) and White Beans
From Everyday Food: Fresh Flavors Fast
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 ounces farfalle (Jane note: I used Campanelle pasta from Barilla and REALLY liked the shape of this pasta…this is going to replace farfalle for me from here on out)
- 4 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (or mashed through the garlic press Jane-style)
- 1 pound baby arugula (I had more like half a pound; I also think spinach would be nice in this recipe; and maybe even a mix of the two!)
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted, for garnish (BLECH. I left these out.)
– Jane addition – freshly grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top!1. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta.
2. Add 1 Tbsp. butter and the garlic to the pot; cook over medium heat, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in arugula; toss just until wilted.
3. Add beans, pasta and remaining 3 Tbsp butter; season to taste with salt and pepper (make sure you taste – I almost oversalted). Heat, tossing, until butter is melted and beans and pasta are warmed through, about 1 minute. Add enough reserved pasta water to create a thin sauce to coat pasta (I think I added about 1/2 of the cup I had reserved). Mangia!
Hello! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and then count on you to share your own! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
This looks so fresh and delicious, I may have this for dinner tonight!
Comment by Jessica @ How Sweet — April 27, 2010 @ 6:56 am
Looks like a winner! I will be trying this one soon!
Comment by Maria — April 27, 2010 @ 7:25 am
Looks great. I think I’ll try this out and see if I can get the two picky eaters at my table to try it.
Comment by michelle — April 27, 2010 @ 7:40 am
Oh how I love arugula and anything it resides in. Especially pasta
It looks beautiful and simple!
Comment by Sues — April 27, 2010 @ 8:39 am
If you don’t care for the walnuts, I make a similar recipe and use toasted pine nuts…yum!
Comment by Traci P. — April 27, 2010 @ 9:59 am
This looks delish! I love the idea of adding pine nuts . . . and maybe a squeeze of fresh lemon juice! I love the combo of lemon & white beans!
Comment by Melissa — April 27, 2010 @ 12:10 pm
I made a very similar dish to this that I got off Giada de Laurentiis’ show. Hers uses crumbled goat cheese (I use one that has been rolled in Herbes de Provence), and I add browned ground turkey seasoned with salt and pepper to mine, since my husband can’t imagine a meal that doesn’t include meat. It’s one of our summer favorites!
Comment by Janna — April 27, 2010 @ 1:52 pm
that is my “go to ” cook book for all things seasonal, fast and delicious. this is a great one – and lovely photo!
Comment by kari — April 27, 2010 @ 4:50 pm
Yum, it looks so good. I would like to try it with garlic.
Comment by Dominic — April 27, 2010 @ 5:49 pm
I love all thing arugula. Jotting this one down for when I need (another) no-brainer dinner that’s healthy, quick and tasty!
Comment by Nic — April 27, 2010 @ 7:34 pm
I have been using Barilla’s campanelle pasta for almost everything because they are so fun to look at and eat! Though I wouldn’t recommend putting a heavy (meaty) spaghetti sauce on them, they aren’t structured enough for that.
Comment by Magdalena — April 28, 2010 @ 8:20 am
thanks, magdalena! glad to have a campanelle expert offer tips – I’m really excited about this past!
Comment by Jane Maynard — April 28, 2010 @ 8:49 am
That looks so delicious! I’m totally going to try it. And I’m happy to hear that the “major carnivore” even loved it.
Comment by Nikki CB — April 28, 2010 @ 1:20 pm
This was delicious! Though I made a few modifications:
I wanted some more bite, so I added cremini mushroom as well, sauteing them before the garlic. I tried it with and without the walnuts and decided that they added a good contrast in texture and satisfying crunch. I imagine a good alternative would be pine nuts, if you’re walnut-averse.
Thank you!
Comment by Jeff — April 28, 2010 @ 2:46 pm
this looks great! i’m a fan of anything w/cannellini beans. i’ve been meaning to buy that cookbook!
Comment by carolyn — April 30, 2010 @ 2:01 pm