Cannellini Beans Ragu Fettuccine Pasta
Meatless and hearty Italian Dinner at home!
Posted By Savita
On your next Italian night, upgrade the pasta - replace meat sauce with hearty and veggie protein rich cannellini beans ragu. Pair it with side veggie salad and orange punch for a dinner kids will devour.
This bean ragu pasta sauce is hearty and so much packed with flavor that you will not miss the need of meat! I promise!
Tell me from the first look of it! Doesn't it look scrumptious?
Good news!
This pasta sauce is also Vegan and even Gluten Free! I have still not marked the whole meal vegan or gluten free since pasta I have used is: Egg Based and also contains wheat.
A) How will you make whole meal vegan?
1. Choose egg-less penne or linguine or any egg-less variety of your choice.
2. And replace cheese used for serving with Nutriouonal Yeast.
B) How will you make whole meal Gluten Free?
Serve rice instead of pasta.
Or
Use gluten free buckwheat or fresh zucchini noodles.
This beautiful looking pasta, which I have not made myself (drum rolls!!!) ;) is Saffron Fettuccine. One of my favorite flavor to use with meat or bean based pasta sauces. Saffron is one very common ingredient used in Indian Meat Briyanies. I think, my love for saffron pasta with meat ragu sure inspired from my love of "Dum Briyanies".
If you have an Italian Bakery around your area...... I'm sure they will be carrying Saffron Fettuccine. I have also seen similar pasta in Specialty Food Stores like Whole Foods and also in Sprouts Farmer's Market.
If you can find some, I suggest, give it a try with this sauce. Even if you don't like saffron (surprise surprise) you might actually start liking it.
I don't use a lot of white beans in my kitchen. Often, I end-up with red kidney beans, black beans, or balck-eyed peas. Recently, I have developed taste for White Cannillini Beans and I found them very meaty and delicious. I would say, the meaty texture of these beans was driving force behind my idea of meatless Ragu Pasta Sauce.
Lamb is one favorite protein of my better-half and he keeps finding reasons to get chance to eat more lamb. Last weekend, when we were craving to eat some pasta.... instead of lamb ragu (one of his favorite), I decided to introduce him to a vegetarian ragu. Believe me, it came out so darn delicious that Vishal ate half of the pasta from my plate too! and NO one missed the lamb (that was the BEST part ;) )
Most of the times, bean recipes start in my home with pre-soaking dried beans. For Bean Ragu too, I often soak fresh dried Cannillini Beans in water overnight, then pressure cook them to use for ragu. For this recipe, however, I have used canned (rinsed) white beans. Canned beans are little tough which works perfect for simmering sauce for 30 minutes. In this time, beans get tender and sauce gets thicker and has lots of flavor.
If you use fresh pressure cooked beans. Make sure to cook'em little less or beans will become mushy by-the-time sauce gets ready. Or add fully cooked beans in last 10 minutes of cooking.
Vegetarian Beans Ragu Pasta has become staple in my home for meat-less Italian Dinner nights! Even though we are not vegetarians, there are many days in week when we don't eat meat or even eggs for religious reasons. On those days, if we crave for something meaty yet vegetarian, Beans Ragu Pasta is first thing in my menu-reference list!
I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!
Have a great weekend!
Savita
Looking for side salads to serve with pasta dinner? I got you covered, here!
Ingredients
- Cannellini Beans Ragu
- 2 Cup Tomatoes (One 14.5 ounce Can, chopped tomatoes)
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Thyme
- 2 Garlic (cloves, small minced)
- 1.5 Cup Water (or use vegetable stock)
- 1/2 Cup White Wine
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Black Pepper (as per taste)
- 2.25 Cup Cannellini Beans (18 ounce can, rinsed)
- 1 Carrots (medium size, small diced)
- 1/2 Yellow Onion (small diced)
- 1/2 Celery (small diced)
- 1.5 tbsp Olive Oil
- Fettuccine Pasta with Ragu
- 3/4 lbs Fettuccine Pasta (such as Saffron Fettuccine)
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (optional, for serving (skip for vegan dinner))
- Basil (fresh leaves, for serving)
Directions
-
1. Heat olive oil in heavy bottom pan. Add diced carrot, celery, and onion and saute until soft (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, puree the can of tomatoes in blender to a fine puree and set aside. -
2. Add cumin, coriander, thyme, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Let it get fragrant for 30 seconds. -
3. Add pureed tomatoes to the pot and combine. Add white wine and cook for 5 minutes or until alcohol from wine has evaporated. -
4. Add rinsed cannellini beans with water. -
5. Bring to boil and then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until beans are tender and sauce is thick per your liking. (stir twice in-between) -
6. When sauce is about to finish cooking, bring a pot of water to rolling boil. Season with salt. Add Fettuccine Pasta and cook until done to your liking. For best results, follow the instructions and cooking time on pasta package. -
7. Drain the pasta water. Serve pasta in pasta bowl, topped with bean ragu. Sprinkle shaved parmesan or ricotta cheese on top and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
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