PASTA AND WHITE BEANS GRATIN

Pasta and White Beans Gratin image

If you first cook the pasta, and then use the same pot to cook the beans, you will only need one pot and a casserole dish to make this meal. To save time, cook the pasta and the beans in different pots at the same time, and use prepared pesto instead of fresh basil and Parmesan.

Provided by Syd

Categories Main Dish Recipes Casserole Recipes Noodles

Time 1h10m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked pasta shells
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil
3 cloves garlic
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup chopped onion
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until done. Drain, and set aside. Meanwhile mince basil and garlic with Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a medium bowl, and mix with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Mix in ricotta.
In a saucepan, cook onions with thyme and bay leaf in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir in beans and balsamic vinegar, and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine beans, tomatoes, and pasta in a well oiled 2 quart casserole dish. Place spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture in the pasta and beans, and press down to cover. In a small bowl, moisten bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle over casserole.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 350.9 calories, Carbohydrate 51.2 g, Cholesterol 11 mg, Fat 9 g, Fiber 6.9 g, Protein 17.9 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 397.6 mg, Sugar 3.3 g