Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans

Photo by Christopher Hirscheimer

Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavor and gives them an almost melted quality. When you toss them with the roasted garlic, lemon, white beans, and basil, you wind up with a wonderfully flavored dish you barely had to lift a ginger to make.

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans

Ingredients

3 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds)
6 large cloves garlic, papery outermost skin removed, but left unpeeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
One 15.5-ounce can cannellini or other white beans, preferably low-sodium
1/2 box (8 ounces) penne pasta
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese *

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450F

Slice each tomato into 8 wedges and discard the seeds. Put the tomato wedges and garlic in a 9×13-inch roasting pan, toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and a few turns or pepper. Roast, uncovered, until the tomatoes lose their shape and become slightly charred, 35 to 40 minutes.

Drain the beans in a large colander in the sink.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta in the colander containing the beans, so the hot pasta water warms the beans. Return the drained pasta and beans to the pasta pot.

When the tomatoes are done, carefully pick out the garlic cloves, squeeze the garlic out of the skin into a small bowl, and mash with a fork. Add the lemon juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper, and stir to combine. Transfer the roasted tomatoes to the pasta pot, add the garlic-lemon mixture and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Serve topped with the Parmesan.

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups

Per serving: Calories 476; Total Fat 14.5g (Mono Fat 8g, Poly Fat 2g, Sat Fat 2.5g); Protein 16.5g; Carb 70.5g; Fiber 9.5g; Cholesterol 1mg; Sodium 602mg

Excellent Source of : Fiber, Iron, Manganese, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K

Good Source of: Calcium, Copper, Folate, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Potassium, Thiamin, Vitamin B6

* Many cheeses are not technically vegetarian because they are made using an animal-derived enzyme called rennet. To make this recipe officially vegetarian, use cheese labeled “vegetarian,” or “no animal enzymes.”