Shells With White Beans Food

PASTA WITH CREAMY WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season well with salt. Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than indicated in the package directions, about 7 minutes. Drain well reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, carrot and onion to the skillet. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the pepper flakes and thyme and cook another minute. Stir in the drained beans and chicken broth. Reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use the back of a spoon to gently mash some of the beans. Set aside.
• Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the pasta and toss to coat well. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and add the 1/2 cup pasta water as needed to maintain a creamy, broth-like sauce. Sprinkle in the spinach and cook until wilted.

CREAMY PASTA SHELLS WITH WHITE BEANS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and set aside.
• In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved pasta, the tomatoes and beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Toss with the 1/2 cup parmesan and chives, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Pass more parmesan at the table.

WHOLE GRAIN MEDIUM SHELLS WITH BEANS AND ESCAROLE

Steps:

• 1. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until vegetables are slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook until tender, 10 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, finely chop sage, thyme, and garlic together. Stir chopped herb mixture and beans into vegetables.
• 3. Cook pasta according to package directions. After 5 minutes, stir in escarole and continue to cook, until shells are "al dente," 1 to 2 minutes more. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta water.
• 4. Add pasta and escarole to the vegetables, tossing with some pasta water until creamy and coated. Stir in 3/4 cup cheese, season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated cheese and a dollop of tomato pesto if desired.
• Copyright 2009 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

SHELLS WITH WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and celery to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in tomatoes and beans, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and dash of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered for 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta following package directions. Drain, and return to pot. Add tomato and bean mixture. Top with cheese, if desired.

SHELL BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the shell beans, onion, crushed garlic clove, bouquet garni and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard onion and garlic clove.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and add leeks and celery. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes, and stir in minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Stir leek and tomato mixture into beans, along with summer squash. Bring back to a simmer and cook 15 minutes, until beans are creamy-tender but intact and the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove bouquet garni.
• Ladle ragout into wide bowls. Top each serving with a generous sprinkling of slivered basil leaves and a spoonful of Parmesan.

PASTA WITH SHELL BEANS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Combine the beans, onion, water, the crushed garlic cloves, bouquet garni and salt to taste in a heavy saucepan or soup pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and discard the onion, the bouquet garni and the garlic cloves. Drain though a colander set over a bowl.
• While the beans are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the tomatoes. Blanch for 30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain, core and peel. Cut the tomatoes in half. Place a strainer over a bowl, and squeeze the seeds out of the tomatoes into the strainer. Press the seed pods against the strainer to extract as much juice as you can, and then discard the seeds. Chop the tomatoes.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the minced garlic. Cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes, sugar, the basil sprig and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down to a thick sauce and smell fragrant, about 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Stir in 1/2 cup of the bean broth and mix together. Stir in the beans. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.
• Bring the water back to a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Cook al dente, until firm to the bite, following the timing instructions on the package. (Check the pasta a minute or two before the end of the suggested cooking time.) Drain the pasta and toss with the beans, tomatoes, and slivered basil. Serve with Parmesan on the side.

PASTA SHELLS WITH BEANS, GREENS, AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add in the sausage; brown the sausage, breaking it apart with a spoon; drain browned sausage on a paper-towel lined plate.
• Add garlic and sage to the same skillet; stir/saute for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
• Add in the beans, spinach, and broth; bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and simmer about 5 minutes or until the spinach is just tender.
• Add in drained pasta, sausage, salt, and pepper; simmer until well heated; adjust seasoning to taste.