Made with seasoned white beans, blistered tomatoes, and fresh spinach, this White Bean Pasta is a simple, yet flavorful, vegetarian pasta recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes.

Large skillet with pasta, white beans, tomatoess, and spinach topped with parmesan.

This recipe for White Bean Pasta proves that simple recipe recipes can still deliver amazing flavor. It is a healthy 30-minute dinner recipe that I turn to again and again when I need dinner to be easy. And no one ever complains when this Tuscan-style white bean pasta is on the menu!

Reasons to Love White Bean Pasta

Insanely Flavorful. Made with seasoned white beans, wilted spinach, and tomatoes, white bean pasta is creamy, rich, bright, acidic, and fresh.
Hearty, Yet Light. Instead of being tossed with a heavy rich sauce, this white bean pasta is tossed with a light sauce made with extra virgin olive.
Quick & Easy Pasta Recipe. Ready in less than 30 minutes, White Bean Pasta is the perfect dinner recipe for any night of the week!
Family-Favorite Recipe. Picky kids love noodles, especially when coated with parmesan! And the tomatoes, spinach, and white beans add a sophisticated flavor that the adults appreciate.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for White Bean Pasta with tomatoes and spinach labeled on counter.

Pasta: I recommend using thin spaghetti noodles or linguine for this vegetarian pasta, as the delicate strands of pasta are a perfect pair for the simple flavors of this dish. You can opt to use whole-grain pasta for a dose of protein and whole grains.
Olive Oil: Be sure to use good quality extra-virgin olive oil as it is one of the few main ingredients featured in this recipe. Using canola oil or low-quality olive oil will not yield the same flavor as using good extra virgin olive oil.
White Beans: Use either Great Northern or Cannellini beans. Both have thin skins, and a meaty texture and take on the taste of the foods they're being cooked with.
White Wine: This is an optional ingredient, but it adds an acidic, rich flavor to this simple white bean pasta. Use a good-quality dry white wine, such as a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Serve the leftover wine with dinner.
Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes are perfect for this recipe, as they can be found ripe and delicious year-round.
Spinach: Use fresh baby spinach for best results.
Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice will make this recipe POP with flavor. Do not be tempted to overlook this addition to the pasta, and DO NOT use jarred lemon juice.
Seasonings: The seasonings in this white bean pasta are simple; Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.

Recipe Modifications

Gluten-Free White Bean Pasta: Use your favorite gluten-free spaghetti or linguine noodles.
Alcohol-Free Version: Use additional broth in place of the white wine.
Vine-Ripened Tomatoes: If you have seasonal vine-ripened tomatoes to use, they will work in this recipe. For best results, remove the seeds and chop the tomatoes into small bite-sized pieces.
Control the Spice: Adding crushed red pepper flakes to the pasta adds a nice hint of spice to the pasta, but you can omit them or decrease them if you are sensitive to spice.

Tips for the Best White Bean Pasta

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Heavily salt the pasta water. To season the pasta, you MUST heavily salt the water before adding the noodles to the boiling water. It is the only chance to flavor the pasta from the inside.
Use a large saute pan to heat white beans and tomatoes. You want to ensure your pan is large enough to hold both the pasta and the sauce together.
Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Adding the starchy, salted pasta water to the tomatoes and white beans will help to season the white bean sauce and bind the sauce to the pasta, as they will finish cooking together.
Finish with lemon juice. To bring the flavors in the pasta recipe to life and make everything pop, adding fresh lemon juice to the pasta takes a good dish and turns this white bean pasta into a restaurant-quality dish.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this Tuscan White Bean Pasta with an additional drizzle of olive oil and Parmesan cheese if desired. I love pairing the pasta with a glass of white wine, used in the pasta sauce, along with a Spinach Avocado Salad or Greek Salad on the side for an extra serving of vegetables.

Bowl of white bean pasta dished out in white bowl topped with parmesan cheese.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Refrigerate: Store leftover white bean pasta in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Place the leftover pasta in a heat-safe bowl, add a splash of vegetable broth to moisten the pasta, and reheat in 30-second intervals until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat the leftover pasta, along with ¼ cup to ½ cup of vegetable broth, in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until warmed through.