Pasta with Tomatoes, White Beans, & Pepperoni
Submitted by ladonna1969
Pasta with tomatoes, white beans, and pepperoni in a quick Italian sauce with basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. A hearty, protein-packed weeknight pasta for two.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minThis Italian pasta dish gets substance from white beans and salty, spicy pepperoni, making it feel like a complete meal in one bowl. Plum tomatoes simmer with basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes into a quick sauce, then the beans go in to warm through and thicken everything up.
The garlic gets sliced thin and cooked in olive oil until golden, then removed. It flavors the oil without leaving harsh raw garlic bits in the sauce. This is the Italian aglio dorato technique, and it gives a gentler, rounder garlic taste.
Sized for two, so you can scale it up easily for a bigger crowd.
Chef Tips
- Rinse the canned white beans before adding. The starchy canning liquid makes the sauce gluey and cloudy.
- Cook the pepperoni with the onion so it renders some of its fat and oils into the sauce base. That spiced pepperoni fat is where a lot of the flavor comes from.
- Partially cover the sauce while simmering. You want some steam to escape so it thickens, but not so much that it dries out.
Variations
- Use cannellini, Great Northern, or chickpeas depending on what’s in the pantry.
- Swap the pepperoni for crumbled Italian sausage for a heartier, meatier sauce.
- Stir in a handful of baby spinach with the beans for a pop of green and extra nutrition.
Ingredients
Directions
In a heavy skillet, cook the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is golden.
Remove it with a slotted spoon and discard.
Add the onion and pepperoni and cook over mod-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and the juices, basil, oregano, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add the beans and parsley, and simmer the sauce, covered partially, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is thickened slightly.
In a kettle of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it is al dente and drain it well.
In a bowl, toss it with the sauce. Divide the pasta between 2 heated bowls and serve it, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and garnished with parsley sprigs.
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