Last Thursday as I was planning our menus for the next few days I realized I had lots of stuff in my fridge and pantry that needed to be used before it went bad. Oftentimes this leads to me making strange flavor combos, but today I was able to make something pretty tasty. It’s a very Tuscan-inspired, saucy pasta dish full of roasted peppers, garlic, white beans, and even a little spinach. This recipe is vegetarian but very filling because of the beans and pasta. It’s a bit of a carb overload, but it tastes so good!
This recipe can easily be adapted to whatever you have in your refrigerator, so don’t panic if you’re out of an ingredient. Just get creative!
Here’s what you need:
- 1 can of Cannellini beans or 1 1/4 cups of dried, rinsed and cooked Cannellini beans
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1/2 white onion thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
- 4-5 whole roasted red peppers, like the kind in a jar
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tbsp EVOO + 2 tbsp
- 12 oz spaghetti or really any pasta, cooked according to package instructions
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- Salt and Pepper
To get started you need to turn your red peppers into a puree. To do this combine your peppers, 1 garlic clove, a healthy dose of salt and pepper, and 4 tbsp of EVOO in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. It should have a thick consistency. Set your pepper purée to the side.
Next, add the EVOO to a high-sided skillet and heat on medium high. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and sauté until the onion is translucent. Next add spinach and sauté until it is just wilted. Next stir in the pepper puree and vegetable broth and heat until bubbly. Once the sauce is heated through, stir in the white beans and Parmesan.
It’s pretty much done at this point, and it will smell amazing! You can serve the sauce over the spaghetti or you can combine everything in one pan and serve from there. Enjoy! 
Making A Maven 