White Bean and Pasta Stew
A creamy, Italian-flavoured stew of white beans and pasta that's comforting and hearty.
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g Fusilli pasta
- 500 g White beans, drained and split in two
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Medium onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 200 g Whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Miso paste
- 60 ml Plant milk
- 720 ml Water
- 1 sprig Fresh rosemary
- 1 leaf Bay leaf
- 0.5 tsp Red chilli flakes
- 0.5 Lemon
- 0.25 tsp Salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1 Hand-mash the peeled tomatoes, reserving the juices.
- 2 Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil and, when hot, stir in the chopped onion, season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 4–6 minutes.
- 3 Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for another 2–3 minutes until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
- 4 Toss in the rosemary sprig, bay leaf and chilli flakes and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- 5 Stir in the mashed tomatoes and half the white beans. Season with salt to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes thicken slightly and become velvety, about 6–8 minutes.
- 6 Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the remaining white beans, plant milk, nutritional yeast, lemon zest and juice, miso paste, salt and black pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if needed.
- 7 When the tomatoes are ready, add the water and the bean purée to the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- 8 Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente and the sauce thickens, about 12–16 minutes depending on the pasta type. The final texture should be creamy and slightly soupy.
- 9 Remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaf. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste.
- 10 Serve drizzled with a little olive oil and a grind of black pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.
