Ready in 20 minutes, this Easy Creamy Artichoke and Bean Pasta will be a lifesaver when you’ve only got a few minutes to throw something together. A creamy sauce adds a bright lemony and garlic flavor, while cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, and beans create a well rounded dish that is sure to satisfy. It’s vegan, oil free, and gluten free if you use gluten free pasta and miso. Best of all, it uses common ingredients that are often found in our plant based pantries!
I travel a lot for work as an Opera Singer. I have to get really creative with making something out of nothing with my meals. Every place I go, I have to start completely over with what I keep in my pantry and refrigerator. New salt and pepper, new spices, new veggies, new vinegar, new hummus, new canned foods, new rice, new everything! You want to try to make the most out of what you do buy at your trip to the market. Eventually you figure out multi-purpose uses for certain ingredients you buy. One superstar ingredient that is extremely versatile is hummus! There are so many uses- as a dip, as a spread, and now as an ingredient in your pasta! It helps acheive that creamy consistency, when you just don’t feel like breaking out the blender for your cashew cream sauce. Paired with the umami of miso paste and the brightness of fresh lemon juice, this pasta will become an easy favorite!
Tips for making Easy Creamy Artichoke and White Bean Pasta-
Cook your pasta first
Once you start adding ingredients to the frying pan, this dish comes together in under 5 minutes. If you try to cook start your sauté ingredients while your pasta is still boiling, it will be easy to lose track of something. Since it comes together so quickly, it’s best to just wait till the pasta is finished, reserve the pasta water, and set them aside.
Use an oil free Hummus
If you are trying to stick to an oil free diet, try to use an oil free hummus. There are several brands sold in stores that don’t have any added oil. My favorite is Asmar’s which they sell here in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. at Whole Foods. Engine 2 also makes an oil free hummus that is also sold at Whole Foods, and is a favorite in the plant based community. Alternatively, you can make your own, which can be quite easy, especially if you use canned chickpeas.
If you can’t find one, don’t stress. Using hummus with a bit of oil, won’t affect the overall of the fat content of this dish that much. Just use what you have!
Stir, stir, stir!
Once you start adding your ingredients to the sauté pan, it’s best not to walk away. Especially while you are sautéing the garlic and crushed red pepper, be sure to keep stirring continuously so it doesn’t burn. The garlic may start to stick a bit. Don’t worry, once you add in the artichoke hearts and beans, they should have enough water to release all the stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. If they don’t, you can always add a bit of your reserved pasta water to loosen things up a bit.
How to make the sauce for this creamy pasta-
I wanted this recipe to be as easy and accessible as possible, so it’s just a matter of combining the hummus, miso paste, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast in a bowl and mixing until smooth. The pasta water that you reserve from boiling will fill out the sauce more and make it a bit more creamy, but the majority of the flavor comes from these four ingredients.
What should I put on top of this pasta?
I usually make Minimalist Baker’s Vegan Parmesan Cheese recipe every few weeks and keep it in the fridge, so it’s ready to top whatever dish I’ve just whipped up. It’s super easy and delicious! You can also buy vegan parmesan in most grocery stores. Follow your Heart makes a good one.
I also like to sprinkle a bit of added crushed red pepper, just cause we like things a bit spicy over here. Nutritional yeast is also a great addition, especially if you don’t have any Vegan Parmesan around.
Is this Gluten free?
You can easily make this dish gluten free by using your favorite gluten free pasta, and also gluten free miso paste. Miso is not naturally gluten free, but there are many gluten free versions out there.
Happy cooking!
Looking for other quick, easy recipes? Try our Portobello Veggie Stir Fry or our Creamy Vegan Asparagus Soup.
Easy Creamy Artichoke and White Bean Pasta
Ingredients
- 10-12 oz whole wheat or gluten free penne pasta (or pasta of your choice, any type of short pasta works well)
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 can artichoke hearts quartered or eighthed about 1 1/2 - 2 cups
- 1 can cannellini or white beans rinsed and drained
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved about 2 cups
- 4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach
- 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2-1 cup water from boiled pasta
Sauce
- 4 tbsp hummus
- 2 tsp miso paste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add your pasta to the boiling water. Set a timer for the allotted time on your pasta package instructions.
- While your pasta is cooking prepare your veggies and other ingredients
- Combine all the "Sauce" ingredients in a small bowl, and mix until well combined and there are no lumps.
- Just before your pasta is done cooking, reserve 1 cup of water from the pot carefully, and set aside.
- When your pasta is done, drain and set aside.
- In a large high sided sauté pan, sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper on medium heat for about 1 minute or until it becomes fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Add artichoke hearts and white beans to the pan. Stir and sauté for about 2-3 minutes
- Add italian seasoning and continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly
- Add about 1/4 cup of your reserved pasta water or broth, and then add the cherry tomatoes, stir for 1 minute to combine.
- Turn your burner down to medium low and add the spinach and then the pasta directly to the pan. Stir contiunously, but gently until the spinach has wilted, and all the ingredients are coated with sauce, adding a bit of the remainder of the reserved pasta water a little at a time until a creamy cosistency is acheived (you may not need all of it).
- Add salt to taste and serve with vegan parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper if you like a bit of spice!
