Roasted White Bean and Tomato Pasta
Published March 20, 2023
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Salt and black pepper
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
16 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans (preferably navy or cannellini beans), rinsed (or 1 ⅓ cups cooked white beans)
1 pound orecchiette (or other shaped pasta that will cup or grasp the sauce)
Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino (optional), for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
79 grams carbs; 1 milligram cholesterol; 678 calories; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 33 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 644 milligrams sodium; 17 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
- Step 2
In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup olive oil with the shallot, tomato paste, garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes and sugar. On a large baking sheet, toss the tomatoes with the dressing; season generously with salt and pepper, then spread in an even layer.
- Step 3
On a second baking sheet, toss the beans with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season generously with salt and pepper.
- Step 4
Roast the tomatoes and beans, stirring halfway through, until tomatoes slump and beans crisp, about 25 minutes.
- Step 5
While the tomatoes and beans roast, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water then drain pasta.
- Step 6
Transfer the beans and tomatoes to the pot. Add ¼ cup pasta cooking water to the sheet pan from the tomatoes and use a flexible spatula to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the sheet pan; transfer to the pot, then repeat with another ¼ cup pasta cooking water. (One thing they’ll teach you in French culinary school: Never, ever discard the sucs, those browned bits at the bottom of the pan that carry deep flavor.)
- Step 7
Add the pasta and the remaining ½ cup olive oil to the pot; stir vigorously until saucy. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add extra pasta water as needed to moisten until glossy. Divide among wide, shallow bowls and top with grated cheese, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a delicious recipe (I cooked it as written) hidden under bad planning. No reason it needed to arrive on the table lukewarm with a murder scene of dirty dishes in the kitchen. Bake the beans on a sheet pan as written - a quarter size is perfect. Bake tomato mixture in a large oven-proof skillet. Transfer skillet to cook top, add beans, then just scoop the pasta directly into the skillet with water clinging, adding more pasta water if necessary. 100% of sucs preserved with way less mess.
Thanks! A lovely dish, pasta e fagioli always a winner - the roasting is a nice touch. But one suggestion, please, made with respect. I have lived in Italy, am married to an Italian, and have never understood why Americans add sugar to a tomato sauce - the acidity of the fruit is quickly cooked away. Don't believe me - check out Antonio Carluccio, etc. It's a terrible habit, sadly passed on by cookbook writers.
The recipe calls for two sheet pans because the beans won’t crisp if they’re crowded on one sheet pan with too much other stuff, especially if the tomatoes burst while roasting and the juices run.
We used less oil when combining pasta, tomatoes, and beans. Tasted just fine! But wish we had read the comment first about the tomatoes and the oven skillet— next time! BTW — we always use parchment paper on our sheet pans, so there was minimal mess as we simply poured/scraped beans and tomatoes into the pasta pot after draining out the pasta.
Huge fan of beans and tomatoes and had so many tomatoes from my garden. Not a big pasta person. I roasted the tomatoes and beans as recommended, but with less oil, and served over polenta. Absolutely delish and easy. Could also easily make a big batch of this and scoop it with bread. As we say in my house, “Yummerville!”
Made this tonight for my family. There was snarling over the last bits. The only change I made to the recipe was to serve the roasted tomatoes and beans with Quinoa instead of pasta. Boosted the protein. Also I used someone’s suggestion to roast the tomatoes in an oven safe large enough to contain the whole thing eventually.