Pasta with Beans and Greens

This dairy-free pasta with beans and greens is a veggie-packed weeknight meal made of pantry staples.

I’m willing to bet that canned beans, tomatoes, and pasta are three items nearly all of us stock regularly in our pantries. These affordable and long-lasting ingredients are super versatile and ideal for throwing together quick, Italian-ish dinners.

This tomato pasta with beans and greens relies on the holy trinity of the pantry kingdom to make a cozy weeknight meal that can feed an army (or at least 4 hungry people).

While the pasta water comes to a boil, you make the chunky skillet sauce with sautéed onions and mushrooms, plus canned beans, crushed tomatoes, and kale. Then you stir hot al dente pasta through the sauce. A sprinkle of parsley-studded toasted panko on top adds an unexpected crunchy contrast.

Even though this is technically a pasta dish, it calls for only half of a box of pasta to make 4 complete servings, while the rest of it is beans and veggies. (That’s beauty and brains, baby!)

Key Ingredients + Substitutions

• Pasta: I recommend a short pasta for this sauce. Think mezzi rigatoni, shells, cavatelli, orecchiette, etc.
• Onion + Garlic: Create a sweet, earthy foundation for the sauce
• Shiitake Mushrooms: Add a savory, “meaty” depth to this vegan pasta.
• Canned White Beans: I like the texture of cannellini, but you can go with great northern, navy, or butter beans here.
• Kale: If you’re not a fan, sub with spinach.
• Crushed Tomatoes: Make the dish saucy.
• Nutritional Yeast: Adds a nutty, “cheesy” note.
• Panko Breadcrumbs: If you haven’t had pasta topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, you haven’t lived! They add a toasty flavor and crunchy texture that takes pasta to the next level. Panko works best because it’s super fluffy. (You can also sub with fresh breadcrumbs.)

How to Make Pasta with Beans and Greens

Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Sauté the Vegetables

Cook the diced onions and sliced shiitakes in a high-sided 12-inch skillet* until they’re lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

*If you don’t have a giant skillet like this one, cook the sauce in a Dutch oven instead.

Step 2: Add the Beans

Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add the beans to the empty side. Using a potato masher (or a fork), mash the beans until most of them are crushed.

Step 3: Finish the Sauce

Add the crushed tomatoes and kale to the skillet. Cook until the kale is wilted and bright green, and the sauce is warmed through, just for a few minutes. (Meanwhile, start boiling the pasta.)

Step 4: Make the Breadcrumbs

While the sauce is simmering, combine panko breadcrumbs with a bit of oil, nutritional yeast, and salt in a small skillet. Toast over low heat until the breadcrumbs are golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the parsley.

Step 5: Finish the Pasta

When your pasta is almost al dente, scoop out about 1 cup of the starchy cooking water and set aside. Then drain the pasta and combine with sauce, along with nutritional yeast, a splash of olive oil, and the reserved pasta water.

Recipe Tips

• Have all your ingredients chopped and prepped before starting to cook. Once you move on to the stove, the recipe comes together quickly and you won’t have time to measure and chop.
• Make sure your pasta is still hot (basically straight from the colander) when tossing it with the sauce. If the pasta is already cold, it won’t absorb all those flavors.

More Vegan Pasta Recipes…

• Vegetable Lasagna with Cashew “Ricotta”
• Caramelized Cabbage Pasta
• Spinach Pesto Pasta
• Creamy Porcini Mushroom Pasta

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.