Pasta with White Beans, Greens and Lemon

Yield: 6 servings

I substituted whole wheat penne pasta for the orecchiette because I prefer whole wheat pasta and that’s what I had on-hand.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound uncooked orecchiette (“little ears” pasta)
• 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups trimmed arugula or baby spinach
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped (about 1 [1-ounce] package)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place pasta in a large bowl; drizzle with oil, tossing to coat.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute or until garlic begins to brown. Add pasta mixture, tomatoes, pepper, and beans; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in arugula, basil, rind, juice, and salt; cook 1 minute or until arugula wilts. Spoon 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture into each of 6 shallow bowls; top each serving with 2 1/2 teaspoons pine nuts and 2 teaspoons cheese. Serve immediately.

Source: Cooking Light