One Pan Lemon Butter Bean and Baby Leaf Green Pasta

Saturday, February 13, 2016
Sometimes the most genius creations come along when you're not even thinking. When you're going through your kitchen cabinets and fridge trying to find something/anything to eat. Like me, today. I rummaged through my kitchen, found leftover some baby leaf greens, enough brown rice pasta for one* (*depends whose eating it, my 'one' might be your two or three) and a can of butter beans I had to use up, because I accidentally opened them yesterday thinking it was a can of chickpeas. (does this ever happen to anyone else?!)  

Long story short, or should I say short story short since it took so little time or effort (OR clean up!), I tried out the whole 'one pot pasta' thing since I see it being done so often and quite frankly never really believed it actually worked or would taste decent, but it was SO much more than decent and I only had one pan to wash at the end of it all! 

The whole flavour combo is crazy good and letting the pasta water evaporate creates a sort of silky sauce that tastes a lot more guilting than it really is. 

Make it today, tomorrow or whenever you don't feel like cooking much or cleaning up much but you do feel like eating like a queen/king.



One Pan 
Lemon Butter Bean and Baby Leaf Green Pasta 

Serves 2 (Recipe easily doubles)

YOU WILL NEED:
1 TBSP BUTTER
3 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED
1 WHITE ONION, FINELY CHOPPED 
2.5 CUPS UNCOOKED BROWN RICE PASTA
1 CUP WHITE WINE
1 LEMON 
5 CUPS VEGGIE STOCK OR 2 TBSP STOCK POWDER
1 CAN BUTTER BEANS, DRAINED
A BIG HANDFUL OF WASHED, TRIMMED AND CHOPPED BABY LEAF GREENS
1/2 CUP CHERRY TOMATOES, HALVED
CHILI FLAKES
SEA SALT AND PEPPER
1/2 CUP PARMESAN CHEESE, GRATED
OLIVE OIL
3 BAY LEAVES
HANDFUL OF FRESH BASIL

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil and melt the butter in a medium to large frying pan. 

Saute the garlic and onion with the bay leaves on a low heat for 5-10 minutes or until softened. 

Add the butter beans to the garlic and onions and turn up the heat. Simmer until the beans are slightly browning on one side. 

Add the white wine and the lemon juice. Simmer until the liquid has reduced and almost completely evaporated except for a little coating on the butter beans.

Add the tomatoes and basil leaves and sauté for a minute or so. 

Add the pasta and enough water or stock to only just cover the pasta. If using water, add the stock powder. 

Turn down the heat and stir and let simmer for about 10 minutes. (It should take 2-3 minutes longer than the pasta's cooking time). 

If the liquid is evaporating before the pasta is ready (try a piece) then add a little more water. You may need to do this one more time. 

Whilst there is still a little bit of liquid left, add the chopped baby leaf greens and stir through the pasta until softened and wilted. 

Once the pasta is cooked and the liquid is almost completely gone, add the chilli flakes, a pinch of salt and pepper and half of the parmesan. 

To serve, top with a little more olive oil, sea salt, a little more chilli if you like it spicy and the rest of the grated parmesan cheese. 

Enjoy!