Cheesy White Bean Alfredo

Up the nutrition of your traditional alfredo sauce with beans! Alberta grown Great Northern Beans add delicious protein, fibre and iron to this family favourite recipe.

Course Dinner & Main Course

Key Ingredient Beans

Dietary Need Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 478

Ingredients

300 g dry pasta of choice
2 tsp (10 mL) butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups (500 mL) cooked or canned white beans, drained & rinsed (see notes)
1 cup (250 mL) whole milk
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, preheat a deep skillet over medium-high heat.
When the skillet is hot, add butter and swirl to coat the bottom. Add garlic and cook, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add beans, milk, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat and continue to cook, stirring often until beans are tender, 5-7 minutes.
Use a blender, food processor, or hand blender to blend mixture into a smooth sauce.
Return sauce to the skillet over medium heat. Add Parmesan cheese and continue to cook, stirring often, until cheese is melted and sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Sauce will also thicken a bit more as it sits. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
Serve sauce over pasta and top with more pepper and Parmesan, if desired.

Notes

White beans include Great Northern beans (Alberta grown!), white kidney, navy or cannellini beans.
If sauce isn’t thickening quickly enough, whisk together 1 Tbsp (15 mL) flour and 2 Tbsp (30 mL) water, then stir into the sauce. Continue to simmer until sauce thickens. Alternatively, if sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk or water to thin.

Nutrition