Hotplate / Microwave: Pasta, White Beans, Spinach With an Anchovy Sauce

Ok, here’s how it often goes with me. I wanted a pasta recipe that used anchovies. I found this recipe (Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) and Pasta with White Bean and Anchovy Sauce) on Recipeland and thought I’d use it as a guide. I wanted to make a singe serving among other things.

I made a small bag of ribbon pasta. I’ll use the rest of the pasta elsewhere.

The recipe called for Broccoli Rabe. I assumed it was a type of greens. Because I did not have Rabe, I used spinach.

Recently, I had made a small batch of anchovy butter, so I used about a 1/3 of a cup of the anchovy butter.

I made a cup of vegetable stock with a vegetable bouillon cube and a cup of water. I only used about 1/3 a cup of the stock, I'll use the rest of the stock elsewhere.

Beans are plentiful here but there are not many choices of white beans are available. I had made a small batch of white beans previously and wanted to use them.

Because I had made several changes to the original recipe, I wasn’t sure it would turn out. One bite told me, it came out great.

I thank Jack Monroe for introducing me to the varied uses of anchovies.

Normally, when I use garlic powder, I have no ill effects i.e. acid reflux, but because I made several recipes with garlic powder, lately, my system was overwhelmed. So, now, I will reduce the garlic powder to a hint to none.


Pasta, White Beans, Spinach With an Anchovy Sauce
(Adapted from: Recipeland, Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) and Pasta with White Bean and Anchovy Sauce)


Makes a 1 bowl serving.


Pre-Preparations:

Make Anchovy butter:

Drain 1 tin of anchovies.
Add anchovies to a container with a lid.
Add 1/2 Cup butter.
Mix and smash the butter and anchovies until they are thoroughly combined and the anchovies are in tiny pieces.
Hold off on adding spices. Add them later when using the mixture as anchovy butter.

Make Vegetable Stock:

Add 1 vegetable bouillon cube to a cup of water.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
Remove and stir until the bouillon cube has dissolved.


Ingredients:

1 Small bag of pasta
1 dab of vegetable oil
1/3 Cup of Anchovy butter
1/3 cup of vegetable stock
2 Heaping TBspns of canned (rinsed in the can) or cooked white beans (any type)
1 Small dessert bowl of frozen spinach
a hint of garlic powder
Ground black pepper to taste
Garnish: Parmasan cheese


Process:


Pasta

In a medium pan, add enough water to cover the pasta.
Add a dab of oil.
Add pasta and cook according to package directions.
When pasta is done, drain and set aside.


Anchovy, Spinach and White Bean Sauce

Add anchovy butter to a small skillet.
Simmer and stir until anchovies have “melted.”
Add vegetable stock.
Add beans.
Add spinach.
Add garlic powder.
Add ground black pepper.
Stir to mix ingredients.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Check and stir occasionally.
Use a spoon to mash the beans.
Simmer until beans are so soft they are easy to mash.
Continue to simmer. You want the mixture creamy and hot throughout.

To serve:

Fill a bowl about 2/3 full of cooked pasta.
Add the sauce.
Stir ingredients to mix them thoroughly.
Add garnish.

#GERD-friendly