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Pasta with Red Peppers, Greens, Beans, Garlic & Lemon Zest

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Submitted by Hawkman

Pasta with red peppers, escarole, white beans, garlic, and lemon zest. A bright, vegan Tuscan-inspired pasta bowl that’s low-fat without feeling like a compromise.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

1 hrs

READY

1 hrs

Pasta with red peppers, greens, beans, garlic, and lemon zest is a Tuscan-inspired bowl where each ingredient pulls its weight. Home-cooked white beans add creamy body, wilted escarole brings bitter depth, red bell peppers add sweetness, and lemon zest cuts through it all with sunshine.

Cooking the beans from dried is the step that separates this from a pantry pasta. A 45-minute simmer with bay leaf and whole garlic cloves perfumes the beans as they cook, and the slightly starchy bean liquid they give up helps bind the sauce when everything comes together.

Simmering the peppers and greens in vegetable stock rather than oil is the move that keeps this dish low-fat without drying it out. The stock concentrates as it reduces, coating the vegetables with savory flavor instead of calories. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens everything.

Chef Tips

  • Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. Unsoaked beans take twice as long to cook.
  • Use a Microplane for the lemon zest to get the fine shreds that disperse evenly, not coarse pith-heavy strips.
  • Mix penne and farfalle or use either one solo. Different shapes catch sauce differently.
  • Save a cup of pasta water. A splash loosens the sauce if it looks dry.

Variations

  • Swap escarole for kale, chard, or spinach depending on what’s at the market.
  • Use canned cannellini beans (rinsed) to cut 45 minutes of cooking.
  • Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and shaved Pecorino for a less-virtuous but richer version.

Ingredients

½ 118
CUP ML WHITE BEANS
soaked in water overnight
1 1
EACH BAY LEAF *
4 4
CLOVES EACH GARLIC
79
2 2
EACH EACH SWEET RED BELL PEPPER
cut into 1/2 inch strips
4 946
CUPS ML ESCAROLE
washed well and cut *
1 15
TABLESPOON ML LEMON ZEST
grated
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SALT
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML LEMON JUICE
¼ 113.4
POUND G PASTA, PENNE
¼ 113.4
POUND G PASTA
farfalle

Directions

Rinse the beans, put them in a saucepan, and cover with 2 cups cold water.

Add the bay leaf and 2 cloves of garlic and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 45 to 60 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer in a sauté pan over moderate heat.

Add the pepper strips and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, then add the greens, 2 cloves of garlic that have been minced, and lemon zest and stir well, until the greens are wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.

Drain the beans (most of the liquid will have been absorbed) from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and add them to the peppers and greens.

Warm through.

Season to taste with the salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Meantime, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Drain and toss with the beans and vegetables.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 188g (6.6 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 278 4% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 304mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 19%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Sugars g
Protein 22g
Vitamin A 37% Vitamin C 140%
Calcium 6% Iron 18%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free, High Fiber
 
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