One pot pasta with beans and tomato sauce

Work is busy.  Night falls quickly.  I need meals that are fast and satisfying.  Something I can throw in the pot and cook quickly.  Preferably with leftovers.  And something my 8 year old will eat.  This one pot pasta ticked all the boxes.  If only I could also take photos to do it justice.

The top photo was quickly snapped the following morning before work to snatch some natural light.  Because I really loved this pasta.  It has more protein and more tomato sauce than the last one pot pasta I made.  And it has some flexibility in using up what is in the fridge.  Just the dish we needed after swimming lessons.

The stew saw us through three nights of dinner, with Sylvia having small bowls of it each night.  Tonight I rode home from work in the rain and knowing I had dinner waiting at home cheered me up.  Though even though it was cold and wet, I quite enjoyed the dark streetscapes with mist around the lights and the rain dripping off the edges of buildings.  It all felt a bit film noir.  Which makes it all the more the sweeter to arrive home to a cosy warm bright home with this hot pasta dish waiting on the table to eat with my family.

I am sending this to Meat Free Mondays.

More easy pasta recipes on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Angel hair pasta with feta, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach
Hurry up pumpkin alfredo (v)
One pot pasta with chickpeas and zucchini (v)
Pasta with mint and parmesan
Smoky cheesy peas pasta
Spaghetti hoops (v)

One pot pasta with tomato and beans sauce
Adapted from Green Gourmet Giraffe
Serves 6

350g spaghetti
2 cups passata (pureed tomatoes)
400g tin cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
400g tin lentils, rinsed and drained
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced thinly
1 red capsicum, finely chopped
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp pesto
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 cups water

Place pasta in a large saucepan.  If it needs to be broken up to fit that is fine.  Place remaining ingredients in the pot finishing with the water.  Check and adjust seasoning.  Cover and bring to the boil.  Simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the spaghetti sticking to the bottom.  Take off the lid and cook on medium-high for another 2-3 minutes with lots of stirring to boil off a little bit more liquid but not all as it will thicken to make a tomato sauce.  Serve hot.  Leftovers are good to serve the next day.

NOTES: If I made this pasta and did not have pesto on hand I would use a bit of stock powder and mixed Italian herbs instead.  Other beans or vegetables could be used here such as chickpeas, kidney beans, kale, mushrooms and broccoli.  Vegetables can be added later if they need less cooking.  The pasta is a little drier when it has sat overnight but as on the night of making it had quite a bit of sauce this was fine and it made for very good leftovers.  I found the onion still to be so slightly crunchy even with chopping it finely.

On the Stereo:
Easy listening: relaxed exotica and space age pop: Various Artists