This hearty and comforting Cavatelli & White Bean stew is made with simple, wholesome ingredients. The little Cavatelli shells are the perfect shape to catch all the delicious broth.
Recipe Tips
I like to use white beans – either Cannellini or Great Northern – for this stew, because they look nice. However any bean will work.
For the pasta, I use Cavatelli, which are small and shell shaped. The shells are a great shape to catch all that delicious broth. Again, the type of pasta is not important, but you will want to use a shape with lots of nook and crannies to trap the sauce.
To thicken the stew, I blend half the beans with a cup of broth before adding them to the pot. The pureed beans naturally thicken the dish. The stew will thicken even more as it cools, so if you are going to be reheating, you will need to add a bit more broth to thin it out a bit.
I like to add a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the stew before serving. It’s not absolutely necessary, however it adds creaminess, extra flavor and nutrients.
Enjoy!
Cavatelli & White Bean Stew
Ingredients
- ½ lb Cavatelli pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups Cannellini, Great Northern, or Pinto beans cooked, or 2 cans
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 cup microgreens, spinach, kale or any green you enjoy
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions, carrots and garlic and sauté until light golden and soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook another couple of minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, add half the beans and 1 cup of the vegetable broth to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.
- Add the broth, the pureed beans, the remaining whole beans and the thyme to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. You may need to add more broth to get the consistency you like.
- Remove the stew from the heat, and stir in the nutritional yeast (if using), the cooked pasta and the greens.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
