William and I love pasta. And it’s a no-brainer for a mostly vegetarian diet. But as satisfying and filling as a pasta dishes can be, I sometimes worry we’re not getting the protein we need from a pasta main course.
With leftover navy beans (again, stashed away from posole), I searched online for a pasta and bean recipe to ease my fears and fill our bellies. And I found the specified combination at Cooking Books.
With a few modifications, our version came out quite macaroni-and-cheese-like. Creamy beans and ricotta clung to the pasta shells. Tomato and zucchini provided summer veggie love, and the pesto added umph.
This recipe will be fun to play with—different beans and vegetables, maybe a stronger cheese, nuts in the pesto. I’ll keep you updated when we try it again.
Navy Bean Pasta Bake
3 cups shell-shaped pasta
3 cups cooked/canned navy beans
1/2 cup bean liquid
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
4 plum tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 cup julienned zucchini
2 cups packed basil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°. Bring a pot of water to boil, salt, and cook pasta until al dente (or just before). Meanwhile, toss zucchini with a sprinkle of salt, and let it drain in a colander, at least 10 minutes. Drain pasta, and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Combine pasta, beans, bean liquid, tomatoes, zucchini and salt and pepper to taste.
In a food processor, pulse basil, garlic, 1/2 cup parmesan, and olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Pour pasta mixture into a greased, deep 9×13″ baking dish. Spoon basil pesto over top, pressing pesto into the pasta with clean fingers. Top dish with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
Serves 4 to 6