CANNELINI BEAN PASTA with BEURRE BLANC

Cannellini-Bean Pasta With Beurre Blanc

• YIELD
2 servings

• TIME
35 minutes

This recipe, like so many great straightforward, inexpensive go-tos, starts with little more than a can of beans — then transforms it into a luxurious meal. Jack Monroe, the British food writer, uses a classic beurre blanc to do that work, simmering a splash of wine, vinegar and butter together, then tipping it into a pot of boiling beans and pasta, letting the liquid reduce to a starchy, nearly creamy consistency. If you think of beurre blanc as fancy and fussy, this simple, unexpected use for it may change your mind. You can also build on the basic recipe, adding a bunch of chopped chard or mustard greens in with the sauce, or covering the top with torn herbs.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed

• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• ¼ cup white wine

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar

• 1 shallot or small white onion, finely chopped

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 cup small pasta, like shells

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano or other strong hard cheese, to finish

PREPARATION

1 Add the beans and stock to a large pot, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

2 While the beans cook, combine the wine, vinegar, shallot and butter in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan as the liquid reduces to keep it from burning. Turn off the heat, and set the beurre blanc aside.

3 Stir the pasta into the beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Stir in the beurre blanc, and season generously with salt and pepper. Serve with a little grated cheese on top.