Phew, did you get all that, once again

Cannelini Bean Pasta with Confit Tomatoes and Roasted Lemons

So, this whole idea came from my friend Anne (that’s CookingWithAnne) who mentioned that her family loved pasta with cannelini beans, lemon, and basil.   (Her recipe is at Family.com) And it got me thinking.

Yes, I know I really should have made her recipe because she’s a tremendous cook and mother and friend, but she mentioned the ingredients and my brain shot off in a million directions.  That one dish seemed like a great landing spot for several things I’ve been wanting to fix recently.  So, with all due respect to Anne, I had to go rogue and do my own. thang.  But still, I give her credit for being my recipe muse on this one.

Cannelini Bean Pasta with Confit Tomatoes and Roasted Lemons

This recipe has a lot of components, but don’t let that scare you.  All you need to do is get the lemons and tomatoes started, then come back in 20 minutes, boil the pasta and make the sauce.  It all comes together so quickly.

You will need:

• 1 lemon per person + 1 extra lemon for the sauce
• 4 tablespoons olive oil + a bit more for drizzling
• 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes
• 8 cloves garlic, 4 of which are minced
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• salt and pepper
• 1 package spaghetti
• 1 pinch red pepper flake
• 1 15 oz can of cannelini beans
• 4 tablespoons veggie broth
• 4-5 leaves of basil
• Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 350.

Cut all of the lemons except the 1 extra in half and drizzle a bit of olive oil on the cut sides of the lemon.  Put them cut side down on a baking sheet.  Bake for 40 minutes or until the cut sides are well browned.

In a separate baking sheet, add the cherry tomatoes, 4 cloves of garlic, and dried basil.  Drizzle a bit more olive oil over the tomatoes (maybe 2 tablespoons at most) and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are shriveled up and delicious.

Now, zest the extra lemon and cut it in half.

After zesting, fill a pot with water and add a healthy amount of salt.  Bring the water to a boil and add the pasta.  Remove when it’s finished boiling.

As the water is coming to a boil, put a skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.  When it’s warm, add the garlic and red pepper flake.  Cook for 15 seconds and then add the cannelini beans.  Using a wooden spoon,  mash some of the beans, then add the broth and reduce the heat to medium.

When the pasta is done, add the zest, basil, and juice from the lemon you zested to the beans.  Add the pasta and a few tablespoons of pasta water.  Stir.

Pour on to a serving plate, top with more basil, the tomatoes, the pulp from the lemons and Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!