Creamy Pasta With Borlotti Beans

Today, I have a special treat for you: Creamy sun-dried tomato pasta with fresh Borlotti beans. It is by no means a traditional dish but a freestyle I made a while ago. Anyways, I found it so delicious I thought I’ll write down the recipe. While strolling an Italian market, I got my hands on these beautiful fresh Borlotti beans that were in season. Turns out they make a fine topping for pasta coated in a flavourful sun-dried tomato and cashew sauce. If you get your hands on some of these beautiful beans, I can recommend giving it a try!

Ingredients you need for this Pasta:

• Pasta
• Borlotti beans
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Fresh tomato
• Cashew
• Garlic
• Red onion
• Lemon juice
• Dried oregano
• Salt & pepper to season

Firstly, you need Borlotti beans. While it is super fun to cook with fresh beans (they just look too cool), you can also use dried or canned beans. Furthermore, you will need sun-dried tomatoes and fresh tomato as the flavour base of the sauce, cashews for creaminess and richness, garlic and red onion, a bit of lemon juice, dried oregano, salt and pepper. And let’s not forget about the pasta. You want to choose pasta that coats nicely with a thick sauce. I went with Paccheri today, but a Fussili will probably work well too.

How to make Creamy Pasta with fresh Borlotti beans:

If using dried Borlotti beans, make sure to soak them overnight. If using fresh beans, peel them and add them to boiling water. Let the beans simmer for approximately 45 minutes, until creamy and soft.

Preparing the Sauce

While the beans are simmering, add your sun-dried tomatoes and cashews to hot water, and allow them to simmer for 10 minutes. I also added the garlic, as blanching takes away lots of its aggressiveness. Half your onion and cut it into slices, then set aside.

Next, add the simmered ingredients to your blender, add a bit of water and blitz until reaching a smooth consistency. Start with little water and continue adding as needed until reaching a thick sauce.

Combining the Pasta with the Sauce

Heat another pot with boiling water, add salt and cook your pasta. In the meantime, heat a deep pan with some olive oil and slices of red onion, which will give some nice texture to the dish. Sauté the onion until developing some colour, then add your sauce to the pan and allow it to heat. When the pasta is just a minute short of reaching al dente consistency, transfer it to the pan. Add some of the pasta water to thin the sauce if needed.

Continue the cooking process in the sauce. The pasta will thicken the sauce nicely. Check for seasoning. Add a bit of lemon juice and the dried oregano.

Plating the Pasta with Fresh Borlotti Beans:

Finally, it’s time to assemble everything. Plate the pasta, give it a final touch of the sauce, and top with the creamy Borlotti beans. Finish with olive oil, black pepper, and dried oregano. This vegan parmesan substitute also makes a fantastic addition. Let me know what you think of this creamy pasta with fresh Borlotti beans!

Some more Recipe Inspirations:

• Care for some fantastic antipasti beforehand? Check out this fresh tomato bruschetta with apples!
• Are you a fan of beans? I got more for you. These homemade baked beans take your breakfast to the next level.
• Penne all’arrabbiata is a delicious classic!
• This vegan lasagne is so comforting!
• Fragrant spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino is an all-time favourite of mine.
• Wild garlic pasta is so flavourful!