Cannellini Pesto Pasta - The Powerhouse of Beans

One of my favorite things is Cannellini beans. I love them. They are a white bean that can easily be used whenever a white bean such as Northern or Navy Beans are called for in a recipe. Here are just a few facts about them...these beans have twice the iron as beef. They assist in maintaining iron levels that stable your supply of hemoglobin which carries oxygen to every cell in your body, which gives you energy....and who would not enjoy more of that? They are low in fat, high in fiber, and folate. These white tender beans are a great source of the trace mineral molybdenum which produce detoxifying enzymes. This trace mineral is known for its ability to prevent headaches, especially those caused by Sulfites. (Sulfites are a preservative that is used in many foods that are prepared and packaged.) As an extra bonus, they are loaded with Thiamine, essential for high mental performance and required for a neurotransmitter to do its job, which can greatly improve your reaction time. Needless for me to say that these little powerhouses should be added to our diets, not only for their nutritional and economical value, but because they taste so good!

The following recipe I created just tonight, and it truly is fantastic. It is best served at room temperature so it is great to take to the football field, or packed in your lunch for work. It is Vegetarian and Gluten Free.(By combining the brown rice pasta and the beans you get a complex protein) If you enjoy Pesto Pasta, you will LOVE this!

Cannellini Pesto Pasta
1 15 oz Cannellini Beans ( They may be labeled White Kidney Beans, or Italian Beans)

1 1lb Brown Rice Pasta - I used Tinkinyada Shells
1/4 C packed fresh Basil Leaves, plus some chopped to finish
1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Lemon - juiced and 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (peel - only the yellow part no pulp)
1/2 tsp Sea Salt - Add at the end to taste
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1/2 C Parmesan Cheese shredded- divided
1/4 C chopped Sun Dried Tomato (that has been in Olive Oil)
Water as needed

Cook the pasta according to directions and drain, rinse with cold water and place in serving bowl. Set aside.
In your food processor add the beans after they have been drained and rinsed thoroughly under cold running water. Add the Olive Oil, Basil, Garlic, Lemon Juice and Zest, 1/4 C Parmesan Cheese, pulse in processor until a paste is made. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Do not add too much salt as the beans are canned in salt and have maintained enough flavor of salt so not much is needed.) Add water to make the consistency saucy and not pasty. Pour over pasta, add the remaining 1/4 C shredded Parmesan Cheese, chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes, and additional chopped Basil. ( This can be optional but is pretty) Toss the ingredients together until well combined.

Though this is great all on its own, I made it even more nutritious by serving the pasta on a bed of fresh Organic Spinach Leaves and topped with Organic Grape Tomatoes.