detour. My kitchen

Pasta · FIRST EDITION

Smoky white bean pasta

Creamy white beans and a smoky tomato sauce, with enough pasta to catch every spoonful.

25 minutes · Serves 2

Budget

Meals built around lower-cost staples, beans, grains and everyday vegetables.

Serving inspiration
Serving inspiration · stock photograph

If a tomato pasta bake is familiar, beans and paprika bring that comfort to a quick saucepan dinner.

Here’s how.

  1. 1

    Cook the pasta

    Bring a large pan of water to a boil, add salt and cook pasta according to the packet.

  2. 2

    Start the sauce

    Warm oil in a wide pan. Cook garlic for 1 minute, stir in paprika, then immediately add tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes.

  3. 3

    Thicken with beans

    Add beans and crush a few with a spoon. Simmer for 3 minutes, then stir in spinach until wilted.

  4. 4

    Mix and serve

    Keep a mug of pasta water, then drain pasta. Toss into the sauce, loosening with reserved water until it coats the pasta.

Add tomatoes promptly after the paprika so the spice does not scorch.

First edition recipe draft — not yet kitchen-tested. Cooking times are estimates.