Cannellini Spinach Pasta Salad Food

CANNELLINI BEANS, SPINACH, TOMATOES AND PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oil in 3-quart pan, add onions and cook over meduim heat till limp, but not browned.
• Add garlic and stir until you can smell it, maybe a minute or two. It's key to prevent it from browning.
• Add drained spinach and combine well with onion and garlic.
• Stir in tomatoes.
• Stir in one can beans with their liquid.
• Liquify the rest of the beans with their liquid in a food processor, or mash with a potato masher in a bowl. Stir them into the rest of the dish.
• Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken, making sure it doesn't stick.
• Add chicken broth a little at a time until you get the thickness you like. It should be thick, but thin enough to coat pasta.
• Stir in oregano and basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if desired.
• Serve over hot pasta with grated Parmesan cheese. You can add a little heat with some red pepper flakes.

CANNELLINI SPINACH PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the spinach, pasta and beans. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper; shake well. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

TUSCAN SAUSAGE, SPINACH AND CANNELLINI BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Brown sausages in oil till done, drain and slice into rounds.
• In large bowl, combine sausage, spinach, beans, onion, cream, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, lemon peel and juice, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.
• Turn mixture into a greased 2 qt casserole.
• In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup cheese, garlic and melted butter.
• Sprinkle on top of casserole.
• Bake uncovered 35 minutes, or until heated through.

CANNELLINI AND SPINACH PASTA DINNER (VEGAN)

Steps:

• Cook the PASTA according to the box directions in salted boiling water, preferably firm or al dente. Drain into a large serving bowl.
• Make the SAUCE by whisking the tomato paste and sauce in a bowl together. Add the oil and garlic and whisk together again, then all the dry spices. Mix into the pasta.
• VEGGIES: Rise and drain the cannellini. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and brown the garlic, then add the cannellini and stir around with a wooden spoon and make sure they cook evenly. Add a couple shakes of Italian seasoning (your own or a storebought mix), so the beans absorb it.
• Throw in the spinach bit by bit-- don't put it in all at once or it won't cook right.
• Season it generously with the Italian seasoning as spinach absorbs flavorings well as it cooks in the olive oil.
• As you add the rest of the spinach, you might need to add a little more oil if it's not getting enough.
• Continue cooking until the cannellini are tender and the spinach has wilted and absorbed enough seasoning.
• Mix with the pasta and sauce-- dinner's done!

PASTA WITH BEANS AND SPINACH PARMESAN

Steps:

• Cook pasta until just tender.
• Ladle 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid into bowl and reserve.
• Drain pasta.
• Saute onion& garlic in oil, then add 1 T water to skillet& cook over medium heat until onion is golden and tender, stirring often.
• Add 1 c reserved pasta cooking liquid, spinach& tomatoes to skillet.
• Cover& cook until spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.
• Add cannellini beans& pasta.
• Cover& cook until heated, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in cheese& season with salt& pepper.