Creamy Cajun Pasta
with white beans / bell peppers / spinach
This creamy Cajun-spiced pasta is loaded with savory peppers and onions, white beans and a generous portion of greens to make this a healthy, though indulgent, weeknight dinner.
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Proteins
Cuisines
Ingredients
Creamy Cajun Pasta:
- Onions, yellow - 1/2 , chopped
- Bell peppers, red - 1/2 , chopped
- Bell peppers, green - 1/2 , chopped
- Zucchini, medium - 1 , chopped
- Garlic - 2 cloves , chopped
- Spinach, baby - 3 oz , chopped
- Beans, cannellini or butter (14 oz / 397 g can) - 1 can , drained and rinsed
- Pasta, fusilli (or other fun shape) - 8 oz
- Tomato paste - 3 Tbsp
- Heavy cream - 1/2 cup
Cajun Spice Mix:
- Paprika, sweet - 1 Tbsp
- Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
- Thyme, dried - 2 tsp
- Cayenne pepper (opt) - 1/8 tsp
Prep
- Make Cajun spice mix - Combine paprika, garlic powder, thyme and cayenne pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Onions / Bell peppers / Zucchini / Garlic - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Chop spinach. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
- Drain and rinse beans.
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Make
- Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Salt generously and add pasta. Cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup (118 mL) of pasta water (for 4 servings; adjust accordingly if customizing).
- While pasta cooks, heat a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add onions, bell peppers, zucchini and garlic. Saute until tender, ~4 minutes. Add Cajun spice mix and saute until it coats vegetables and becomes fragrant, ~2 minutes.
- To the vegetables, add spinach, tomato paste, heavy cream and reserved pasta water (if pasta is still cooking, just use a measuring cup to scoop water out of the pot) and stir to combine. Simmer until liquids reduce to a thick sauce and spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in pasta and white beans and stir until sauce coats pasta. Season with some salt and pepper.
- Serve pasta with fresh black pepper cracked over top and enjoy!
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