Go Back
bowl of pasta with cherry tomatoes and cheese
Carli Christiansen

Vegetarian Pasta With Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce And White Beans

This luscious, flavorful pasta comes together in about half an hour. Perfect for a meatless meal, the white beans add a creamy texture, and a little bit of sweetness, not to mention protein. The burst cherry tomato sauce is easy and fun to make. My kids can't get enough of this pasta, and I love it too.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ pound pasta I like rotini or cavatappi. Anything that will hold onto a lot of sauce. Also, please note that this recipe is for ½ pound of pasta. See note.
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes use the best ones you can find. I recommend the NatureSweet Cherubs brand.
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon Tony Chachere's No Salt Seasoning optional
  • ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 can cannellini or great northern beans
Optional Garnishes
  • grated parmesan cheese
  • additional halved cherry tomatoes
  • flat leaf parsley chopped

Equipment

  • 1 10 or 12 inch skillet with a lid
  • 1 pot for cooking pasta
  • 1 chef's knife
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 ladle
  • 1 blender do not use an immersion blender. See note.

Method
 

  1. Cook pasta using the package directions until they are just under al dente. It will finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Preheat your skillet over medium heat, add a Tablespoon or two of olive oil, and sauce the onions and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add a pinch of salt and a little bit of pepper to the onions and garlic as they cook. This builds a layer of flavor.
  3. Wash the cherry tomatoes and add them straight to the pan. Cook until about half of the tomatoes burst, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Smush the tomatoes a little bit as they burst to deglaze the pan.
  4. Carefully ladle the tomatoes, onions and garlic into a blender. Cover and blend for about 15 seconds. Return the sauce to the skillet. DO NOT use an immersion blender. See note.
  5. Bring the sauce back to a simmer, and season with salt, pepper, Tony Chachere's (optional), and sugar. Sugar helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
  6. Add one drained can of either cannellini or great northern beans to the sauce. Stir to combine. Return the sauce to a simmer.
  7. Add the pasta to the simmering sauce. Stir to combine. Cover and let cook until the pasta reaches your desired doneness, probably 3 minutes or so. You can add a bit of pasta water if needed, but be careful not to dilute the sauce. Serve with grated parmesan cheese, additional halved cherry tomatoes, and parsley, if desired.

Notes

  1. There is not enough sauce to fully cover the head of the immersion blender, so if you use one the sauce will shoot out the holes in the sides, potentially giving you a very bad burn. Please use a countertop blender for your safety. 
  2. The quality of the tomatoes really matters in this sauce. I used some cheaper tomatoes and they were much waterier than the Cherub branded ones. I seldom recommend a produce brand, but they were the most flavorful and consistent in testing. 
  3. Please note that this recipe is for ½ pound of pasta and serves 2-3 adults. If you are feeding a larger group or family, please double the recipe.