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Top down view of pinto beans and fennel pasta in bowl.
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Easy Pasta with Pinto Beans and Fennel

This easy weeknight friendly pasta with pinto beans and fennel is a flavor party of sweet fennel, salty olives and creamy pinto beans. The recipe is ready in under 30 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 449kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

  • Large pot for boiling pasta water
  • Skillet

Ingredients

  • 16 oz farfalle (or any small pasta)
  • 2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (use more or less per your preference)
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives (roughly chopped)
  • 6-8 cloves garlic (minced or put through a garlic press)
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 1 large fennel bulb (cut into thin slices, about 1-inch long)
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1-2 teaspoons dried oregano (use more or less depending on how much flavor you want. I like adding the whole two teaspoons for the best flavor)
  • 3 cups canned or cooked pinto beans (start with 1 cup dried pinto beans if cooking from scratch)
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Strain pasta and reserve two cups of the pasta cooking water.
  • Place olive oil in a wide skillet over low heat. Add the olives, garlic and fennel seeds. Sauté until the garlic turns a light golden and is very aromatic.
  • Add the sliced fennel bulb and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Mix and sauté for a couple of minutes, then lower heat, cover, and let the fennel cook 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  • Stir in the oregano and pinto beans along with the reserved pasta cooking water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and mash a few pinto beans with the ladle to create a creamy sauce.
  • Stir in the pasta followed by the baby spinach. Mix until the spinach wilts, then check seasoning and add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve the pasta warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Potassium: 693mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1653IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 3mg