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Pasta with Greens and Beans
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5 from 1 vote

Pasta with Greens and Lima Beans

A big bowl of orzo pasta is amped up with tasty spinach or kale greens, lima beans, capers, parsley, lemon zest and walnuts. It's as easy as it is delicious.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6
Calories: 291kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces orzo (Feel free to substitute another pasta, like bow ties or spaghetti. You can use gluten-free pasta to make the recipe gluten-free)
  • 2 cups lima beans. (Frozen or canned. If using frozen, place in a microwave-safe bowl and zap for 6 minutes. Set aside.)
  • 1 big bunch spinach (or use another green like bok choy or kale)
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 heaping tbsp capers
  • ½ cup parsley chopped
  • ½ cup walnuts toasted in the microwave for two minutes, then chopped into smaller pieces
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice and zest of one lemon
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta per package directions until al dente.
  • While the pasta is cooking, in a saucepan, add the olive oil and garlic and heat them together, allowing the garlic flavor to infuse the oil.
  • As the garlic starts to turn color and becomes lightly blonde, add the red pepper flakes and ground black pepper.
  • Stir for a few seconds, then add the chopped Yu Choy greens and salt to taste. Stir thoroughly. Don't be alarmed if the greens look like a lot-- they will wilt down quite a bit.
  • Cover the saucepan and let the greens cook about five minutes until they have wilted and cooked down. Add the lima beans and stir well to mix.
  • Add the zest, capers, lemon juice, walnuts and parsley. Now add the cooked pasta and stir everything together. Check salt and add more if needed.
  • You can eat as is, or drizzle some more extra virgin olive oil before serving, if you don't mind the extra calories (hey, EVOO is good for you). It's delicious either way.

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 504mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 639IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 3mg