The best easy pasta dinner
This white bean and kale pasta is so tasty. The fresh tomato sauce is laced with garlic, onions and sweet baby bell peppers. Then nutritious white beans and kale are added to bump up the plant-based protein and fiber. Lastly we top this dish with fresh basil, chili flakes and black pepper. This 30 minute dinner is so easy to make yet tastes like a gourmet vegan meal. You and your loved ones will have this recipe on rotation for years to come.
Is pasta healthy?
Pasta can be part of a healthy diet. Granted, whole wheat pasta is much healthier than white pasta but in moderation there is no need to vilify this food. Nowadays there are many options for gluten free pasta that are higher in protein and lower on the glycemic index. For me though, when eating pasta, I make sure to add a healthy serving of protein and fiber. Like with this white beans and kale pasta. A higher portion of veggies and beans will fill you up faster and with less calories than a pasta dish without these elements. The beans and greens help with portion control without feeling restrictive.
What makes pasta the best dinner food?
Pasta is the best dinner for so many reasons. Firstly, pasta is always delicious. I have never known anyone who didn't like pasta. Second, pasta is so versatile! It is very easy to make a delicious dinner in minutes with whatever foods you have on hand. Whenever we don't know what to have for dinner, pasta is the answer. Thirdly, pasta is extremely frugal food. You can feed many mouths with a couple of dollars. In today's economical climate this is an essential for any meal. Food has become so expensive. Pasta is the solution! Experimenting with different flavor combos is how I came up with this white bean and kale pasta and there is even a similar version in my book Plant-Based Diet in 30 days! Another wonderful thing about pasta is that it is shelf stable, making it a pantry friendly ingredient to have on hand at all times.
Ingredients for White Bean and Kale Pasta
The ingredients for this easy family dinner are available year round. There are no obscure items to hunt for. They should all be readily available at most supermarkets.
- pasta of choice
- crushed tomatoes
- tomato paste
- garlic
- yellow onion
- kale
- white beans
- sweet baby bell peppers
- basil leaves
- turbinado sugar (or any sweetener you like)
- vegan butter
- salt, pepper, crushed peppers to taste
How to Make White Bean and Kale Linguine
This pasta dinner is extremely easy to make. We cook the pasta on the back burner while simultaneously cooking the sauce. Then we just add them together for a very quick meal.
- First, put on water to boil for the pasta
- Then sauté onion and garlic until very fragrant then add chopped baby bells and cook until peppers are soft and onions are browning.
- Add crushed tomato, tomato paste and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
- Add drained beans, a pinch of salt and crushed red pepper if desired. Add 1 pinch turbinado sugar to cut acidity if desired.
- Cook pasta according to box, add 1 tbsp vegan butter so pasta doesn’t stick together and reserve aside until last step.
- Add in kale chopped very small at the end to wilt but retain some integrity then add in the cooked pasta and mix well tossing until sauce clings to the pasta.
- Top pasta with fresh basil, black pepper and chili flakes.
Recommended items for cooking pasta
These colanders are excellent quality stainless steel and have 3 sizes for draining pasta and washing vegetables. These are affiliate links and I make a small commission when you buy. Thanks for supporting my work.
I also love these inexpensive cooking tongs. They are stainless steel with food grade silicone tips. They won't scratch my Caraway Home non-stick pans and they are heat resistant up to 480 degrees!
More Delicious Vegan Pasta Recipes
White Bean and Kale Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta
- 22 oz crushed tomatoes can
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 3 cups kale stems removed, chopped
- 1 can white beans drained
- 3 sweet baby bell peppers chopped
- 6 basil leaves chopped
- 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 ea salt, pepper, crushed peppers to taste
Instructions
- Put on water to boil on back burner first to time correctly.
- Sauté onion and garlic in a large, deep pan, chopped fine in 1 tbsp olive oil until very fragrant (3-5 mins) then add chopped baby bells and cook 3 more mins until peppers are soft and onions are browning.
- Add crushed tomato, tomato paste and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
- Add drained beans, a pinch of salt and crushed red pepper if desired. Add 1 pinch turbinado sugar to cut acidity if desired and cook 5 minutes.
- Cook pasta according to box, add 1 tbsp vegan butter so pasta doesn’t stick together and reserve aside until last step.
- Add in kale chopped very small at the end to wilt but retain some integrity then add in the cooked pasta and mix well tossing until sauce clings to the pasta.
- Top pasta with fresh basil, black pepper and chili flakes.