Pasta with White Beans and Olives

Pasta doesn’t get much fresher or easier than this elegant tomato sauce. Beans make a nutritious alternative to meat, and heating them briefly in olive oil and garlic infuses them with flavor.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 4 ounces whole-wheat pasta shells, tubetti, ziti, or rigatoni
• 1 Tbsp expeller-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 large clove organic garlic, minced
• 2 ripe medium organic tomatoes, diced
• 2 Tbsps oil-cured black olives (see TIP)
• ¼ cup sliced fresh basil
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsps freshly grated organic Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the beans are just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add tomatoes, olives, basil and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Divide the pasta between 2 plates and top with the bean mixture and cheese.

TIP: Small amounts of olives can be purchased from bulk bins and salad bars.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 2 cups. Per serving: 481 calories; 16 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 75 g carbohydrate; 21 g protein; 14 g fiber; 906 mg sodium; 816 mg potassium.


Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Iron (25% DV), Potassium (23% DV), Vitamin A (20% DV).

Exchanges: 5 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 lean meat, 2 1/2 fat. 4 Carbohydrate Servings