Pasta O'Doole

When the cupboard is nearly bare and dinner needs to happen now, this three-ingredient pasta is the answer. Elbow macaroni, a can of great northern beans, and a jar of tomato sauce, that’s the entire shopping list, and it adds up to a filling, protein-rich meal for next to nothing.

There’s a small but smart detail: the beans go in with their liquid, not drained. That starchy bean liquid loosens the tomato sauce and helps it cling to the pasta, adding body and a little extra savor instead of being poured down the drain. Just heat the beans and sauce together while the macaroni cooks, then toss.

It’s plain, honest, pantry food, the kind of thing that feeds a family in a pinch or makes an easy meatless lunch. The beauty is how easy it is to dress up: salt and pepper is the minimum, but garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, dried oregano, or a shower of Parmesan all turn it into something you’d happily make on purpose.

Pro Tips

• Add the beans with their liquid, not drained. It loosens the sauce and helps it coat the pasta.
• Season generously. Plain tomato sauce and beans need salt, pepper, and ideally garlic and herbs to come alive.
• Save a little pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if it gets too thick.

Variations

• Stir in garlic, oregano, basil, or red pepper flakes for more flavor.
• Top with grated Parmesan or a drizzle of olive oil.
• Add sauteed onion, spinach, or browned sausage to make it heartier.