Dr Mobeus
Creamy Garlic Butter Bean Pasta
Butter beans are the unsung heroes of budget cooking. They are creamy, filling and cheaper than almost any other protein source. This pasta dish uses a clever trick – mashing half the beans with starchy pasta water creates a silky, restaurant-quality sauce without a drop of cream. At 60p per portion it is cheaper than a tin of soup but tastes like something from a proper Italian kitchen.
Total cost: £2.40 (£0.60 per portion) – Serves 4 people. Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 15 mins
Creamy Garlic Butter Bean Pasta
Silky garlic butter beans tossed through pasta with a splash of cooking water for a naturally creamy sauce - no cream needed. Ready in 20 minutes and packed with plant protein.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil the pasta in salted water according to packet instructions, reserving 200ml of cooking water before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the minced garlic and oregano, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the butter beans and gently mash about half of them with the back of a spoon. This creates a creamy texture without any cream.
- Pour in 150ml of the reserved pasta water and stir well. The starch in the water combined with the mashed beans creates a silky sauce.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss everything together. Add more pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.
- Stir in the grated cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Tips and Variations
Save a full mug of pasta water before draining – you may need more than you think to get the right consistency. Any hard cheese works here: cheddar, parmesan or even leftover ends. Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to cut through the richness if you have one handy.
Is it cheaper to make this from scratch? Use our Cook vs Buy Calculator to compare the real cost of homemade vs shop-bought.
