Creamy Butter Bean Pasta

This quick, vegan, creamy butter bean pasta recipe with broccoli florets, leeks, nutritional yeast, lemon, and walnuts will be ready in 30 minutes.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 478 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 clove garlic
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups small shell pasta
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin oil, divided
• 1 small leek, white part only, sliced
• 1 (14 ounce) can butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 0.25 cup nutritional yeast
• 0.25 teaspoon onion powder
• 0.5 cup vegetable broth, divided
• 0.25 cup chopped roasted walnuts

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 9 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water; drain shells.

Step 2

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add leek; cook until soft, 3 to 5 minutes, do not brown. Add broccoli and 1/4 cup vegetable broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, 5 to 8 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, combine butter beans, remaining 1/4 cup vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, salt, onion powder, and black pepper in a blender; blend until smooth.

Step 4

Add pasta and puréed butter bean sauce to broccoli in the skillet; toss to coat. Add reserved 1 cup cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time, if too dry. Divide among 4 bowls; top with walnuts.