Italian-inspired · Easy
Tomato, white bean & spinach pasta
Whole-grain pasta and white beans make a satisfying pantry supper, with a quick tomato sauce and spinach stirred in at the end.
Estimated nutrition
Per portion and for your whole batch. These are ingredient-based estimates, not laboratory-tested nutrition facts. Optional ingredients are excluded.
| Nutrient | Per portion | Whole batch |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 476 kcal | 1902 kcal |
| Protein | 21.9 g | 87.6 g |
| Carbs | 84.3 g | 337.1 g |
| Fiber | 18.1 g | 72.6 g |
| Sugars | 7.4 g | 29.5 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 9.1 g | 36.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 1.4 g | 5.8 g |
| Sodium | 250 mg | 1002 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
USDA FoodData Central references. Brands, food varieties, preparation and portion size change the result. Added sugars assume plain, unsweetened ingredients; for prepared breads and sauces, a range shows zero to the reference food’s total sugar because the added amount is unspecified.
Ingredients, sources & assumptions
All listed edible food and oil are counted as eaten. Cooking losses and final cooked weight are not measured. Some ingredients use a stated reference food or a proxy for a missing nutrient. No personalized dietary advice.
Pasta, whole-wheat, dry (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) · 280 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceBeans, cannellini, canned, sodium added, drained and rinsed · 480 g in the original batch
Cannellini beans are the reference for unspecified white beans; other varieties and brands differ. Missing sugar and cholesterol use generic undrained canned white beans as a proxy. Missing saturated fat uses that proxy’s saturated-to-total-fat ratio applied to the drained/rinsed cannellini total fat. The primary source supplies other nutrients.
USDA food reference USDA supplementary referenceTomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average · 738 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceSpinach, raw · 200 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceGarlic, raw · 12 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceOil, olive, salad or cooking · 20 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceSpices, oregano, dried · 2 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceCalculation version 2. Source records and method are documented in our nutrition guide.
Nutrition guidanceLet’s make it
Amounts below match your selected batch. Follow each short step, and use timers as reminders to check the food.
Equipment
Stovetop · Large pot · Skillet · Colander
- 1
Wash and prepare the produce
Wash 6 medium whole tomatoes, remove the cores, then dice evenly into 1 cm pieces. Keep any juices with the prepared tomatoes.
Wash 200 g spinach, drain well.
Peel and finely mince 12 g garlic.
- 2
Prepare the remaining ingredients
Measure 280 g whole-wheat pasta.
Drain white beans and rinse well, then weigh 480 g white beans after draining.
- 3
Measure and set out
Measure 20 g olive oil.
Measure 2 g dried oregano.
Keep these measured amounts nearby. The cooking steps below specify how much to use at each stage.
- 4
Warm the garlic and oregano
Heat 20 g oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add 12 g garlic and 2 g oregano and stir for 30 seconds without browning.
- 5
Start the tomato sauce
Add 6 diced fresh tomatoes with their juices. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring and gently crushing with a spoon until soft and saucy.
Start the sauce check timer. While it simmers, continue with the pasta steps. When the timer rings, go to step 8 to check the sauce, then return to your pasta step.
- 6
Bring pasta water to a boil
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Read the cooking time on the 280 g pasta package before adding it.
- 7
Cook the pasta alongside the sauce
Once the sauce has simmered for about 10 minutes, add 280 g pasta to the boiling water. Cook according to the package until tender with a little firmness.
Set a timer for the package cooking time and continue with the sauce checks. When the pasta is ready, go to step 11 to reserve water and drain it. Return to the sauce if it still needs time.
- 8
Check the tomato sauce
After 15–20 minutes of simmering, check that the tomatoes are soft and saucy. If still firm, simmer a little longer, stirring, then check again before adding the beans.
- 9
Heat the beans
Add all 480 g drained and rinsed white beans to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes until steaming throughout.
- 10
Wilt the spinach
Stir all 200 g prepared spinach into the sauce until wilted, about 2 minutes. Keep the sauce over low heat while finishing the pasta.
- 11
Reserve water and drain the pasta
When the pasta is tender with a little firmness, use a heatproof jug to reserve 250 ml of its cooking water before draining.
Drain carefully. If the pasta finishes before the sauce, keep it covered briefly and loosen it with a little reserved water when combining.
- 12
Combine and serve
Add all the drained pasta to the finished sauce and toss. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta.
Divide into 4 bowls.
Make it work for you
For kids & different preferences
Offer the components separately if preferred. Let caregivers choose portions and suitable textures; appetites vary.
Storage & packed lunches
Refrigerate in shallow covered containers within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C). Keep at 40°F / 4°C or colder and use within 3–4 days. Freeze portions intended for later in the week. Keep packed lunches cold with ice packs until eaten.
Freezing & reheating
Freeze promptly in meal-sized airtight containers for up to 2–3 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheat leftovers throughout to 165°F / 74°C. Stir microwave portions and check several places with a food thermometer.
If something looks different
Check the food itself as well as the clock. Equipment, batch depth, and ingredient size affect timing. Fresh tomatoes vary in juiciness. If too watery, simmer uncovered a little longer; if sticking before tender, add water a spoonful at a time.
Print & sharing options
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Something wrong with an ingredient or instruction? Tell usVersion 4 · Updated 2026-10-21
Bethany’s Kitchen · /recipes/pasta-beans · Original instructions prepared for this project; no third-party recipe prose or photography reproduced. Not kitchen tested.