CREAMY Spinach and Bean Pasta Heart Healthy 20 Minute Recipe

Bienvenidos and welcome to another episode of Spain on a Fork. Today we have such an exciting show as we're going to grab some basic pantry staples such as canned beans and pasta and create a classic Mediterranean recipe. We're talking a creamy spinach and white bean pasta and I tell you this dish is filled with so many simple yet delicious flavors. It's easy to make and the best part done in a little over 20 minutes making it the perfect dish for a busy weeknight waiting for a relaxed weekend lunch. Either way make sure to enjoy it next to a crunchy baguette and a bottle of Spanish wine more specifically from the region of Alicante and have yourself a fabulous meal. All right let's just jump right into this. I'm going to fill a stockpot with some water. You want to go to a little over the halfway point. Then we'll season generously with sea salt and heat it with a high heat. At the same time I'm going to heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil which is 45 milliliters. As always make sure you use the good stuff here as this is what truly makes a difference in these recipes. We agree to get the Spanish one I'm using in the description box below. While the oil is heating I'm going to finely chop one medium-sized onion and roughly chop six cloves of garlic. Like I've told you in prior videos if you prefer you can chop the ingredients before heating the pan. Then we'll add the chopped vegetables into the hot fry pan and we'll mix them around continuously that way they don't brown too quickly and they're all evenly sautés. After three to four minutes and the onions are slightly translucent I'm going to add one and a half tablespoons of all-purpose flour which is 12 grams. We're going to continue to mix this and go for two minutes on the flour. This is enough time to cook off the raw flavor in it that way it doesn't overpower the flavors of the dish. After cooking the flour for two minutes let's add in our spice blend which is what gives this dish that beautiful lift of flavors. I'm going to add in one teaspoon of dried oregano which is one gram along with half a teaspoon of sweet smoked Spanish paprika which is a little over one gram and a quarter teaspoon of crushed red pepper which is a little over half a gram. And we'll give it a quick mix and like I've told you before when you're working with paprika in a hot pan you want to mix in there quickly otherwise you can easily get a bitter flavor. Then we'll add in three quarters of a cup of vegetable broth which is 180 milliliters. You can also use chicken broth here if you like. And one cup of milk which is 240 milliliters. I'm using low-fat but you can use any milk you like. Just make sure it's at room temperature otherwise it can easily curdle. And we're going to continue to gently mix this together go for a few minutes until we end up with a slightly creamy sauce. After three to four minutes and we've ended up with a slightly creamy sauce it's time to add in the beans. I'm going to drain a jar of cooked white beans into a colander. This is the same thing as the canned ones and rinse them under some water. The size of the jar that I'm using is 15 ounces which is about 425 grams. Then we'll shake off any of the excess water and gently add the beans over the cream sauce. Then we'll season with sea salt and a generous portion of freshly cracked black pepper. And we'll give it a gentle mix until it's well mixed together and then lower it to a low heat. While the sauce is simmering let's move back to the stock pot. Once the water comes to a boil it's time to add in the pasta. I'm going to measure out eight ounces of pasta which is 225 grams and add it into the boiling water. I'm using penne pasta but you can use any pasta you like. And you don't have to mix the pasta around continuously but do get in every two to three minutes that way it doesn't stick together and it all evenly cooks. While the pasta is cooking let's get our final ingredient ready. I'm going to grab five ounces of fresh spinach which is about 150 grams and roughly chop it. I'm using fresh bagged spinach but you can also use the regular stuff or even frozen spinach. Just make sure it's fully thawed out beforehand and pat it completely dry. And then we'll add the spinach into the simmering cream sauce and gently mix it. That can easily wilt and I like to add in their batches that way it doesn't overcrowd the pan. Then we'll move back to the stock pot. Once the pasta is perfectly cooked al dente it is ready to go. Make sure to check the package instructions in the pasta you're using that way you get your cooking times right on the money. At this point I'm going to transfer the pasta directly from the stock pot into the pan with the simmering sauce and it's okay if a little of that starchy water gets in there. It's only going to enhance the textures and flavors of the cream sauce. Then we'll turn off the heat add in two tablespoons of grated cheese which is 15 grams. I'm using a Spanish Manchego but you can use any cheese you like. And squeeze in two teaspoons of fresh lemon juice which is 10 milliliters. And we'll give this one final gentle mix until it's well mixed together. And you can serve this directly out of the pan or transfer into serving dishes. Either way make sure to top it off with a kiss of grated cheese and some chopped chives. Check it out our creamy spinach and white bean pasta is done. Easy to make. The simplest ingredients. And all done in a little over 20 minutes. Let's give this a try and see how it turned out. Once again folks the creamy spinach and white bean pasta truly what the Mediterranean kitchen is all about. I am so excited to try this. Try to grab a little bit of everything. Here we go. Wowza that is so good. You know hard to believe we have such basic ingredients. We got so many flavors out of this. The pasta is beautifully cooked. It's got a nice bite to it. So important to not overcook it. That cream sauce taking this to the next level. With those white beans and spinach really shining through. Easy to make. Heart healthy. Give it a try at home. Once again next to a crunchy baguette and a bottle of Spanish wine from the beautiful region of Alicante you have yourself the best moment of your day. Really quick before I go a shout out to a couple of my patrons John Dayen, Juaniturri and Rob Haskins. And guys thank you so much for being patrons of Spain on a fork. You know how much I appreciate you. If you enjoyed today's video hit that like button. Leave me a comment below. 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