Cavatelli pasta with Cannellini beans and tomatoes, a lovely dish with loads of flavor. The sweetness of the tomatoes plays beautifully with the cannellini beans, basil, and garlic. Add in the comfort of the pasta, and that rich acidity of the Pecorino, and you have one winner of a Fall dish!
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A variation on 'Pasta e Fagioli'
Pasta e Fagioli is one of our favorite cozy and comforting recipes. It is a combination of pasta and beans, that you can make more or less "soupy". For pasta, we usually add ditali or maltagliati (often made from leftover pasta when making ravioli or lasagna, cut into off bite-size pieces).
For today's recipe, Cavatelli pasta with Cannellini beans and tomatoes, we used cavatelli pasta we bought in Cilento, Italy, this summer, cannellini beans, and yellow date tomatoes. Also, we didn't make it as soupy, more like a pasta dish. All in all, it is a very comforting and delicious dish.
Why you would want to make this Cavatelli pasta with Cannellini beans and tomatoes
There are a lot of good reasons why you would want and crave this dish:
- It's healthy
- Looks beautiful
- Has a wonderful array of texture
- Most of all, it is absolutely delicious
Ingredients
Just a few ingredients for this dish and here they are:
- Cannellini beans
- Cavatelli pasta
- Yellow grape tomatoes
- Garlic
- Evo oil
- Red chili flakes
- Dried Rosemary
- Fresh basil
- Grated Pecorino cheese
Substitutions
One thing about this dish is that you can do several variations. Instead of the cavatelli, you can use your favorite short pasta shape: ditali, macaroni, even orecchiette. On the other hand, for the tomatoes, you can switch to red cherry tomatoes. Instead of Pecorino, other good cheeses would be Parmigiano Reggiano, or Grana Padano. The last thing is you could make it more soupy if that is your preference.
How to make Cavatelli pasta with Cannellini beans and tomatoes
This recipe is really easy, let us show you how it's done!
- Firstly, in a deep sauté pan, drizzle in the evo oil, throw in the chili flakes and garlic. Turn eat to a medium, and when garlic sizzles, toss in cannellini beans and the yellow grape tomatoes. Season and cook for some time. Turn off the heat.
- Secondly, we need to get a large pot of salted water on boil. Always taste your water, in Italy we say it should taste like the sea. In goes the pasta and cook it for a few minutes less than the recommended cooking time.
- Thirdly, grab a ladle and scoop some of the pasta water, and pour it into the pan with the beans and tomatoes. Turn heat back on low/medium and give the mixture a good stir.
- Take the cavatelli out of the boiling water with a strainer and toss it into the pan. Stir it up with the beans and tomatoes. Do not throw out the pasta water, we need that.
- Fourthly, add another ladle of pasta water and stir. If the water all dissipates and the pasta is not cooked then add some more. The texture we want to achieve is al dente, meaning a little bite to the tooth.
- Lastly, sprinkle in grated Pecorino, and tear up some of the fresh basil leaves and give the whole thing a good toss!
Time to plate this Cavatelli pasta with Cannellini beans and tomatoes
I love this part. Remember, you always eat with your eyes first. With that being said, we spoon the pasta into a serving bowl. Drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with more grated Pecorino. Last touch, a garnish of fresh basil and voilà, there you have it Cavatelli pasta with Cannellini beans and tomatoes! TIP: If you omit the Pecorino, or use a vegan cheese, this pasta dish is vegan.
Final thoughts
I truly know for us this recipe couldn't come at a better time. Outside the snow is falling. There is a rim of frost on the window, and you can feel the briskness of the falling temperatures brushing your cheeks. This Cavatelli pasta with Cannellini beans and tomatoes is just going to hug you and warm you up in a most delicious and heartfelt comforting way. Thank you for cooking with us and most of all, enjoy cooking and share it with someone!
Buon Appetito!
Print
Cavatelli pasta with Cannellini beans and tomatoes
Cavatelli pasta with Cannellini beans and tomatoes, a lovely dish with loads of flavor. The sweetness of the tomatoes plays beautifully with the cannellini beans, basil and garlic, adding in the comfort of the pasta, and that rich acidity of the Pecorino, and you have one winner of a Fall dish!
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup (150 g) yellow grape tomatoes (or red cherry tomatoes)
- 3 tablespoons evo oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic, whole, smashed
- a pinch of peperoncino (red chili flakes)
- a few basil leaves
- rosemary, optional
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups (250 g) cavatelli pasta (or orecchiette)
- ¼ cup (35 g) Pecorino, reserve some for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pan, drizzle in evo oil, press garlic and throw in with the oil. Add chili flakes, cannellini beans, grape or cherry tomatoes, rosemary, salt and pepper. Turn the heat on low/medium and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the cavatelli or orecchiette and cook for a few minutes less than the recommended time on the package.
- Add a ladle of pasta water to the pan, turn heat back on to a low/medium setting, and stir.
- Scoop out pasta with a strainer and keep the pasta water.
- Toss cavatelli pasta into the pan and give it a good stir. Add another ladle of pasta water and let that simmer and reduce, stirring frequently. Cooking time depends on the pasta you use. Preferred texture is al dente. If the pasta water dissipates, and the pasta is not cooked yet, add some more pasta water.
- Turn off heat, sprinkle in grated Pecorino cheese, reserving some for plating, and break up basil leaves and throw those in too. Give it another good stir and plate.
- Drizzle some evo oil over top, sprinkle some grated Pecorino, and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.
- Ready to serve!
Enjoy!
Notes
You can substitute red cherry tomatoes instead of yellow grape tomatoes.
You can also use orecchiette, ditali, elbow pasta instead of cavatelli, or any other shape you like. Cooking times may vary depending on pasta.
If you omit the Pecorino, this dish is vegan.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main, Vegetarian
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Cavatelli pasta, cannellini beans, Italian comfort food, pasta, Pecorino cheese, yellow grape tomatoes, Cucina Italiana, Evo oil, fresh basil,
When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.
Bernice Hill says
Excellent recipe. Would you believe I still have a few grape tomatoes left from our garden? They were perfect in this recipe and we enjoyed all the flavours together. Most of all I loved how easy this was. It's now on my list of perfect weeknight dinners.
★★★★★
Thank you, Bernice, Happy you made it. Yes, it's one of those recipes that it's good to have on rotation. Compliments on the grape tomatoes! Wow!
Patricia says
I love how filling and delicious this is with alllll the good flavors! A simple dish that shines!
★★★★★
Jamie says
Awesome! This recipe looks absolutely delicious and yummy! A recipe that is so unique with a perfect blend. Loved it, and we can never go wrong with pasta! As what I believe.
★★★★★
Helene says
A hearty and comfort dish perfect for this time of the year. I loved how we could make such a wonderful dinner with a few ingredients.
★★★★★
Amy Liu Dong says
First time to hear about this recipe, but it looks delicious and easy to make.
I will def give it a try!
★★★★★
susan | the wimpy vegetarian says
I've never combined cannellini beans and pasta, and have clearly missed out. This is the kind of simple and delicious Italian meal I most love!
★★★★★
Laura Arteaga says
This meal was easy to make and really yummy! I made this for my husband and kids and we all loved your cavatelli with beans, thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Erin says
This looks so delicious! What kind of Pecorino do you use? I looked it up and am guessing Pecorino Romano? That's my favorite, but curious if there's another type of cheese you mean!
★★★★★
Alex says
I've been trying to find a way to incorporate more beans into our diet and this recipe looks like the perfect way! And so perfect for this chilly weather. Thank you!
★★★★★