Pasta with Black Beans & Spinach

This is the weeknight pasta dinner you make when the fridge is looking sparse and you need something filling fast. Angel hair pasta gets tossed in your favorite jarred pasta sauce loaded with black beans for protein and spinach for color and iron. Twenty-five minutes, four pantry staples, dinner done.

The black beans turn a simple pasta and sauce into a genuinely substantial meal. They add fiber, protein, and a creamy texture that makes each bite more satisfying than plain noodles in red sauce.

Drain the defrosted spinach well before adding it to the sauce. Frozen spinach holds a lot of water, and dumping it in undrained thins the sauce and makes the whole dish watery.

Kitchen Tips

• Rinse the canned black beans thoroughly. The canning liquid is starchy and muddy-tasting.
• Use a hearty, chunky pasta sauce rather than a thin marinara. It needs enough body to coat the beans and spinach.
• Squeeze the spinach in a clean towel to remove as much liquid as possible before adding.
• Top each bowl with a generous shower of Parmesan right before serving.

Variations

• Add red pepper flakes or diced Italian sausage for a heartier, spicier version.
• Use fresh baby spinach instead of frozen. Stir it in at the end and let it wilt for 1 minute.
• Swap black beans for cannellini beans for an Italian-style white bean and spinach pasta.