Farfallini with White Beans

This pasta has evolved over the last couple of months, and it makes a really good meatless main dish.  

2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained

2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans

1 pound farfalline pasta (farfalline is a little bow-tie shaped pasta)

2 large onions, chopped

5 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 cup olive oil, divided

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 pound hard salami, diced

2 TB fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil - or to taste

1 bag baby spinach, roughly chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread diced tomatoes in a single layer on a sheet cake pan and roast in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes.  Tomatoes will dry out slightly and juices will begin to carmelize.
2. Drain beans into a large colander and rinse with cold water.  Leave the beans in the colander.
3. Saute onions in 1/4 cup olive oil until translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add garlic to the pan and continue to saute until onions are just starting to brown and garlic is fragrant.
4. Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions.  When pasta is done, dip out 1 1/2 cups of the water pasta cooked in and reserve.  (I use a large mug or a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup.)  Pour pasta and remaining cooking water over the beans in the colander to drain the pasta - the hot pasta will heat the beans.  Return the pasta and beans to the pasta pot.  Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and stir gently.
5. Add onions, sun dried tomatoes, salami, roasted tomatoes, and fresh basil to the pasta.  If mixture seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water and stir.  (The longer the dish sits, the more pasta water it will absorb.  I usually end up adding almost all of the reserved pasta water.)
6. If you are not going to serve the pasta immediately, cover the pot and place in a 300 degree oven to keep warm.
7. Just before serving, fold in the baby spinach, adjust seasonings, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

From Dried Beans to Refried Beans

A few weeks ago for our evening Relief Society (an organization in our church for women age 18 and older), I made tostadas for the dinner. If you haven't had tostadas before, think of it like an open-faced taco. Start with a tostada shell, spread with refried beans, and top with cheese, lettuce, and diced tomatoes. If desired, add salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Rather than using canned refried beans, I've been making my own using either canned pinto beans or dry pinto beans. The flavor and texture are so much better than the canned refried beans, and, by planning ahead, it doesn't take that much more active prep time.

Several of the women in our ward had never cooked dried beans before. If you haven't cooked beans, give it a try. They're a delicious, economical addition to your meals. I love the flavor and texture of pinto beans, and use them in chili, soup, taco meat, and refried beans.

Preparing dried beans:

Measure 1 pound of beans (about 2 1/4 cups). Sort the beans and remove any stones or clumps of dirt. Put beans into a colander and rinse with running water. Place beans in a large pot, add 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside to soak for 1 hour. Drain water and rinse beans. Put beans back into the same pot. Add 6 cups of water. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. (Older beans make take longer.) Add salt to taste. (NOTE: do not add salt until the beans are tender.)

At this point, your beans are ready to use.

Refried Beans

Drain beans from the cooking liquid, but reserve some of the cooking water.

Heat 2-3 TB vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Add 2 cloves of garlic that has been minced. Saute until fragrant. Add the drained beans and stir. With a potato masher, begin mashing the beans. Add cooking liquid, about 1/4 cup at a time as you continue to mash the beans. Keep mashing beans and adding the cooking liquid (or water) until the refried beans are the desired consistency. For additional flavor, I like to add some onion powder, cumin, and dried cilantro to taste.

If you are starting with canned pinto beans, drain and rinse the beans. Follow the instructions above for refried beans, but use water instead of cooking liquid when you are mashing the beans. It's that easy.

The longer the refried beans sit, the thicker they get. If that happens, just heat, add more water, and stir to combine. Or keep the refried beans warm in a crock pot.