During the week I am always looking for new ideas to make our family’s dinners healthier without adding a lot of time. Pasta is a dish we have in our home on a weekly base. Lots of the time we keep it simple by just adding tomato sauce and parmesan cheese, with a side of vegetables. Other times we will add ground beef to the sauce or make meatballs.
The times that I don’t want to add meat to our dinner but I still want to make the meal more filling, as well as add a healthy source of protein, an easy addition to the meal is beans. For tonight’s dinner I used a can of pinto beans. I have also used chick peas and that works great too.
The times that I don’t want to add meat to our dinner but I still want to make the meal more filling, as well as add a healthy source of protein, an easy addition to the meal is beans. For tonight’s dinner I used a can of pinto beans. I have also used chick peas and that works great too.
There are 2 fast and easy ways to add beans to your pasta dish without adding much time to the preparation. For both methods I start by rinsing and draining the beans from the can.
· The first way works well when you are either making sauce or heating sauce on the stove. Add the can of beans to the sauce, and let simmer for a few minutes to heat the beans through.
· The second way is great for when you are serving sauce straight from a jar. When there are 2 minutes left in your pasta’s cooking time, add the can of beans to the boiling water, then drain the pasta and beans together as usual, and top with your favorite toppings.
Adding beans to your pasta dish is an easy way to cut down on your portion of pasta while increasing the nutrition, which the beans provide. I also find that pasta with the addition of beans is more filling, allowing me to eat less and still feel satisfied.
Pasta is one of the meals we usually make during the week when we don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking. Beans are a great addition, and at the same time keep the dish simple to make.
What topping do you like on your pasta?
· The second way is great for when you are serving sauce straight from a jar. When there are 2 minutes left in your pasta’s cooking time, add the can of beans to the boiling water, then drain the pasta and beans together as usual, and top with your favorite toppings.
Adding beans to your pasta dish is an easy way to cut down on your portion of pasta while increasing the nutrition, which the beans provide. I also find that pasta with the addition of beans is more filling, allowing me to eat less and still feel satisfied.
Pasta is one of the meals we usually make during the week when we don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking. Beans are a great addition, and at the same time keep the dish simple to make.
What topping do you like on your pasta?