Lemon and White Bean Pasta

Mediterranean · 25 min · Easy · 4 servings

Lemon and White Bean Pasta

Fire Rating: 4.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings.

Flames are how much people loved it, not how spicy it is.

Twenty-five minutes, one pan, mostly cupboard. The beans break down just enough to make the sauce creamy without a drop of cream.

~570 cal per serving. Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.

Plan it:

Method

  1. 1

    Boil the pasta

    ⏱ 9 min

    Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until just shy of al dente. Before draining, scoop out a mugful of the cooking water. This is the sauce, so don't forget it.

  2. 2

    Soften the garlic

    ⏱ 4 min

    Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a wide pan over low heat with the garlic and chili flakes. You want the garlic to turn pale gold and sweet, never brown and bitter. Low and slow.

  3. 3

    Break down the beans

    ⏱ 3 min

    Add the beans and a splash of pasta water. Mash about a third of them against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon and let it bubble into a loose, creamy sauce.

  4. 4

    Bring it together

    ⏱ 2 min

    Add the drained pasta, spinach, lemon zest and juice, and a good splash more pasta water. Toss hard over the heat until the spinach wilts and the sauce clings to the pasta.

  5. 5

    Finish

    Off the heat, stir through the parsley and nutritional yeast if using. Season generously with black pepper and more salt than you think. Serve immediately.

Notes

The pasta water is not optional: the starch is what makes the sauce emulsify. If it looks dry, add more.

From readers’ kitchens

Real photographs, taken by people who cooked this and chose to show them here.

  • Lemon and White Bean Pasta, cooked by Tiffany
    Tiffany · October 5, 2026
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