Quick White Bean Ragù
This Quick White Bean Ragù for two is one of the fastest meals you will ever make. It’s perfect for an easy weeknight meal and believe it or not, it’s done in 10 minutes! This spicy vegetarian white bean ragu is so versatile, it can easily be made many different ways.
Arrabbiata sauce makes this dish very flavorful and a little spicy. If you don’t like spicy foods, then just use your favorite mild tomato sauce instead. This meal is high in protein and fiber and can also be made vegan, non-dairy, and it’s gluten-free! Learn why this recipe will likely become a go-to meal in your weekly menu rotation in our Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe Updated: 4/4/22
QUICK WHITE BEAN RAGÚ
Ingredients
Instructions
- To a 2.5 quart nonstick saucepan (see Note #3), add arrabbiata pasta sauce and dried basil. If using red wine, add to sauce now, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- While sauce is heating, drain and rinse 1 can cannellini beans (see Note #2).
- When sauce has reached a simmer, add cannellini beans to the sauce, and stir to combine. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add spinach, salt, and pepper, to the top of the sauce (do not stir) and let the bottom layer of spinach wilt for about 1 minute. Using tongs, begin incorporating spinach into the sauce to wilt the leaves with the heat of the sauce. Repeat this process until all leaves are wilted and evenly distributed throughout the sauce. Once spinach is wilted, but still vibrant green, remove from heat and serve immediately by ladling into shallow bowls (see Note #4).
Notes
- You can use homemade Arrabbiata sauce, or any sauce you like. For this super quick weeknight meal, we highly recommend Signature Select Arrabbiata Sauce for the most authentic arrabbiata, which has a spicy flavor. This Signature Select brand can be found at Vons, Pavilions, Albertsons, and Safeway grocery stores. Trader Joe’s also makes a nice arrabbiata sauce. Truff Black Truffle Arrabiata Sauce has unique and wonderful flavor that is extra special, and you'll only need 1 jar (17 ounce) for this recipe!
- You can use any brand of cannellini beans you like, but we highly recommend S&W cannellini beans. They are really the best we have found. These have a tender skin and are creamy and flavorful inside. S&W brand can be found at almost every grocery store chain.
- For an Extra Spicy Sauce: If you are using a store bought sauce, taste the sauce before you start the recipe. For more spicy heat, place your saucepan on medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the saucepan. Once the oil is hot, add a pinch (or more) of crushed red pepper flakes to the oil and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add your sauce, dried basil (and wine, if using), stir, and continue with Step 2.
- For recipe variations, see Serving Suggestions in our Step by Step Instructions below on our recipe web page.
- This recipe can easily be doubled for a quick dinner for four.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
349.18Fat (grams)
3.93Sat. Fat (grams)
0.61Carbs (grams)
61.05Fiber (grams)
14.55Net carbs
46.49Sugar (grams)
10.47Protein (grams)
19.14Sodium (milligrams)
1312.34Cholesterol (grams)
3.96Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. This information is based on the basic version (vegan option) of the recipe and does not include any optional ingredients other than basil leaves.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Add 12 ounces Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce (homemade, or half of a 24 ounce jar of store bought arrabbiata sauce - see Notes Section below for recommended brands), and ½ teaspoon dried basil, and ¼ cup red wine (optional) to a 2.5 quart saucepan. Stir to combine, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Note: If you like it extra spicy and you are using a store bought sauce, you may want to taste the sauce before you start the recipe. For more spicy heat, place your saucepan on medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the saucepan. Once the oil is hot, add a pinch (or more) of crushed red pepper flakes to the oil and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add your sauce, stir, and continue with the instructions above.
STEP 2
While sauce is heating, drain and rinse 1 can cannellini beans (14.1 oz. can - see Notes section #2).
STEP 3
When sauce has reached a simmer, add cannellini beans to the sauce and stir to combine. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
STEP 4a
Add 2 cups fresh baby spinach (packed), ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of ground black pepper, to the top of the spinach (do not stir) and let the bottom layer of spinach wilt for about 1 minute.
STEP 4b
Using a heat resistant silicone spatula or spoon (or tongs), begin incorporating the spinach into the sauce to allow the fresh leaves to wilt with the heat of the sauce. Wait about 1 minute for the bottom layer to wilt a bit.
STEP 4c
Continue repeating this process once or twice more, and stir to distribute spinach evenly throughout the sauce. Once all the spinach is wilted, but still vibrant green, remove from heat.
STEP 5
Serve immediately by ladling into shallow bowls.
See optional ingredients and serving suggestions below. All are great choices, but none are necessary to make this simple meal delicious and nutritious...enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
3 Ways to Serve this White Bean Ragù
VEGAN & NON-DAIRY
On its own or finished with a little extra virgin olive oil and some torn fresh basil leaves, it’s a delicious vegan and dairy-free meal for two.
As an optional ingredient and for added protein and fiber, toss in some petite peas to the ragù just before you add the spinach.
VEGETARIAN - OPTION 1
Ragù topped with shredded Parmesan cheese and a little torn fresh basil or parsley.
We recommend using the following as optional garnishes:
⅓ cup freshly grated or shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves that have been cut into chiffonade (or torn Italian parsley leaves).
VEGETARIAN - OPTION 2
Ragù topped with crumbled goat cheese and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
All of the following garnishes are optional and can be mixed and matched to your taste. We recommend using:
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese, or ¼ cup tiny cubes of Manchego cheese.
To make it extra rich, add ⅓ cup freshly grated or shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Top with 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves that have been cut into chiffonade (or torn).
The goat cheese gives this ragù a wonderfully creamy texture and adds a tanginess to the sauce.
Notes:
Homemade sauce is always better (try our Arrabbiata Sauce recipe!), but store bought sauce is a great substitute in a pinch, especially for this super quick weeknight meal. You can use any sauce you like, but we highly recommend the Signature Select Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce for the most authentic store bought spicy arrabbiata sauce. This Signature Select brand can be found at Vons, Pavilions, Albertsons, and Safeway grocery stores. As another store bought option, Trader Joe’s also makes a nice arrabbiata sauce. Truff Black Truffle Arrabbiata Sauce has a unique and wonderful flavor that is extra special, and you will only need one jar (17 ounce) for this recipe. If you don’t like spicy, just use your favorite mild tomato sauce (such as marinara) in place of the arrabbiata sauce.
You can use any brand of cannellini beans you like, but we highly recommend S&W cannellini beans for the most tender and flavorful beans. S&W brand can be found at almost every grocery store chain. It’s really the best we have found in all our taste tests. All of the other brands we have tried of cannellini beans have a much tougher skin and the results have not been great with this recipe. The S&W brand of cannellini beans are creamy, tender skinned, and delicious.
This recipe can easily be doubled (or more) for a super fast dinner for four.
VIDEO
3 Ways to serve this Quick White Bean Ragù, and it takes only 10 minutes to make!
Blog Comments & Tips
This is a ridiculously quick and easy recipe for a weeknight meal!
After a long work day, it can be tough to make dinner on a weeknight. In our home, we absolutely love any kind of pasta and it is definitely a meal that can be prepared quickly. However, sometimes you just want something different.
This recipe came about from a conversation I had years ago with my best friend. I wanted another meatless alternative besides pasta that had more nutritional benefits. Being part Italian, she naturally suggested beans. Although I had tried Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans) a few times, I’d never thought of using beans in place of pasta.
After some experimenting, we finally came up with the perfect balance of beans and sauce. Using an arrabbiata sauce gave this main dish a spicy quality and really kicked it up a notch in flavor. A few additional ingredients took it to another level and this Quick White Bean Ragù became a weekly staple in our home.
We are always looking for ways to improve the flavors and nutritional value in each of our meals. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so versatile. You can make it vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and every version is gluten-free. Depending on your dietary preferences (or your mood), you can easily mix it up and try a different version each time. It’s wonderful with my recipe for homemade Arrabbiata Sauce!
The base recipe is vegan and quite nutritious. This main dish has over 19 grams of protein and almost 15 grams of fiber in each serving! Spinach is a nutrient-rich vegetable and full of potassium, magnesium, carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron, and calcium. Beans are also high in protein and fiber. As a vegetarian option, top with some cheese for added calcium and you have a healthy, quick and easy meal in 10 minutes that is spicy, savory, and creamy!
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating, and/or following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks. Enjoy!
Mich
Footnote: Toss in some fresh or frozen peas just before you add the spinach, to add more nutritional value to this meal.
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