Reviews for: Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans
Italian-style tomatoes go for a brief simmer with tender white cannellini beans and garden-fresh spinach. Serve over hot penne and spoon crumbled bits of feta cheese over the top for a creamy sharp bite with every mouthful.
Submitted by: Joelene Craver
Posted: 11/24/2009 5:34:49 PM
"I found this a bit bland, but it did pick up when I added some cooked ground turkey to the leftovers."
Posted: 11/18/2009 9:56:54 AM
"I used regular diced tomatoes and frozen spinach that I cooked in the microwave before adding. I also added italian seasoning and garlic salt. It was a little bland. I think next time that I will add more garlic and maybe mix the feta in with the dish."
Posted: 11/10/2009 1:14:41 PM
"Delicious. This is quick, inexpensive, and tasty. We will have this again, and soon!"
Posted: 10/29/2009 9:57:45 AM
"Such a yummy change from the typical "meat" and "red sauce" meals. Didn't change anything and will be making again!"
Posted: 10/20/2009 8:02:25 AM
"This is good as is, but has the potential to be fantastic with a few additions (this coming from someone partial to good homemade greek dressing)...wisk together 1/3c olive oil and 1-2tbsp red wine vinegar, add juice of one lemon, a clove of minced garlic and a good tablespoon of finely chopped fresh oregano, salt and pepper, and pour over dish just at the end. I threw in some raw onion and WOW! The fresh oregano,(and maybe even a little fresh mint) keeps it gorgeously greek!"
Posted: 9/2/2009 12:35:58 PM
"This recipe is a great base but needed a lot of additions and modifications. --To make it spicier, I added 1 tsp. dried sage, 1 tsp. dried organo, and 1 tsp. dried basil, as well as 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes. Also for garnish, I used 1/2 chopped Kalamata olives (which give it more of a kick and also more of a Greek flair) --To make it healthier, I used whole grain penne pasta Also another major change I made is that I didn't combine the spinach and the tomato/bean mixture while cooking. I sauteed the spinach separately with 4 green onions (finely chopped) and 2 cloves of garlic. Once the spinach was wilted, I added the spinach on top of the pasta and sauce as a garnish. It did create more dishes, but I believe that the spinach was more flavorful this way and the end result was much prettier than it would have been. (Note: Make sure to use organic spinach, as regular spinach has a lot of pesticides, and then wash the spinach throughly as it has a lot of dirt on it. Then, dry it as it releases a lot of water while cooking, and remove the stems and chop finely) Once modified, as one reviewer stated, it tastes great and is fresh and healthy (not things usually put in the same sentence)! I will make this often!"
Posted: 8/31/2009 1:08:20 PM
"I am giving this 3 stars because it lacked some flavors for me. Next time, I might try it adding some garlic and onions. "
Posted: 8/28/2009 8:32:29 AM
"Very good and super easy. If you use baby spinach you don't even have to chop anything. Fantastic."
Posted: 7/21/2009 9:36:50 AM
"I absolutely loved this. It was just as good reheated for lunches during the week. I will definitely make this again."
Posted: 7/20/2009 8:38:33 AM
"Great idea!! And a great way to serve pasta a little bit healthier. The beans add a nice creaminess. Just a few tweaks - I added a heap of garlic to start with and sauteed in olive oil, and added some red pepper flakes. Fiance loved it, plus it's so easy on my food budget. Thanks for a great recipe, Joelene! "
Posted: 7/9/2009 10:15:55 AM
"Light, tasty and healthy. I actually put more veggies than pasta."
Posted: 7/6/2009 12:01:24 PM
"Very good and healthy too! The feta cheese is what makes it! Based on other reviews, I sauteed one small onion + 5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, then added the 1 28 oz can italian tomatoes (cut up) and later added a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes to add more liquid. To the tomato sauce I also added: 1/2 tsp suger, 1 tsp salt, some pepper, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, a small can of black olives, drained. I added 2 chicken breasts, sliced (browned in a skillet w/ ground pepper fresh garlic, onions). I did not chop the spinach, since it wilts down to nothing. "
Posted: 7/6/2009 10:48:59 AM
"Made it exactly as originally submitted and it was pretty bland. My husband and kids did not like it too much either, won;t be making again. "
Posted: 7/6/2009 7:19:33 AM
"Initially this sounded good...but then I read the so-called reviews. There were so many changes/additions/deletions I didn't know where to begin. Ladies, make the recipe as is. If you feel the need to change things & not just tweek...submit your own recipe. Otherwise just submit tweeks, not major changes! Sorry for the rant, but I get so tired of reading about a wonderful recipe only to find out it's only wonderful if you make the following major changes..."
Posted: 7/2/2009 6:32:37 PM
"This dish had no flavor even after I added all of the suggested onions, garlic, salt, pepper. I even added chicken. Will not make this again."






