Garlicky Tomato Pasta with White Beans Recipe

The perfect late-summer weeknight dish is here: Garlicky Cherry Tomato Pasta with White Beans Recipe! It’s a go-to in our kitchen when we’re craving something simple yet nourishing. Featuring salty kalamata olives, burst cherry tomatoes, creamy white beans, and our BFF Kale, it’s a vibrant dish packed with textures, flavors, protein, and fiber. 

Vegan, gluten-free optional, and just 10 ingredients and 25 minutes required.

Let’s make dinner!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 5 medium cloves garlic, sliced (5 medium cloves yield ~22g or 2 Tbsp)

• 1 small shallot, minced (1 small shallot yields ~28g or 3 Tbsp // you can leave it out if you don’t have one)

• 4 cups cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 cup water (or sub white wine for more flavor // we like a light white wine like Sauvignon Blanc)

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/2-3/4 tsp sea salt

• 1 (12 oz.) package pasta (gluten-free as needed // we like Jovial Fusilli or Penne)

• 1/2 bunch kale, large stems removed, leaves thinly chopped (or sub another green like arugula or spinach // 1/2 bunch yields ~3 cups or 75 g)

• 1 (15 oz.) can white beans, drained and rinsed 

• 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives

• 1/2-3/4 cup pasta water (reserved from cooking pasta)

  
  

FOR SERVING optional

Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. For cooking the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, sliced garlic, and minced shallot. Sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Add the cherry tomatoes, water (or white wine), red pepper flakes, and sea salt. Stir to coat them with garlic and oil. Cover the pan and let cook for about 5 minutes until the skins on the cherry tomatoes begin to burst.

3. Once your pasta water is boiling, add your pasta and cook following package instructions. Make sure to reserve 3/4 cup (180 ml) of pasta water before draining.

4. Meanwhile, remove the lid from the tomatoes and add the chopped kale (if using arugula or spinach, wait to add it until the last minute), drained and rinsed white beans, and chopped kalamata olives. Sauté for another 5 minutes until the liquid has almost completely evaporated from the tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the pasta water (adjust amount if altering batch size) to the sauce and stir, letting it cook down for 1-2 minutes. Pour the pasta into the sauce and stir to coat. Add the remaining pasta water if the mixture needs more liquid — the pasta should be lightly coated in the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, adding salt to taste or red pepper flakes for heat!

5. Serve warm with an optional topping of Parmesan. Store leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or briefly in a saucepan. Not freezer friendly.