Healthy Spinach Artichoke Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz whole wheat penne pasta (or any pasta variety)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 15oz can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ¾ cup vegetable or chicken broth, divided
• 1 tablespoon butter, butter substitute or olive oil
  1 15oz can quartered artichokes, drained
  1 10oz package frozen spinach, thawed with excess water squeezed out
  1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  Crushed red pepper flakes

PREPARATION:

Cook pasta. Bring a large pot (~5 quarts) of water to a boil. Add salt to the boiling water. Boil 11-13 minutes until al dente. Drain in colander and set aside.

While cooking pasta, prepare the spinach artichoke sauce. In a high-powered blender or food processor, blend together canned cannelini beans, garlic and 1/2 cup of broth. Set aside.

Heat butter or oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add canned artichokes, cooking until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add spinach and parmesan cheese to the skillet and toss together. Last, add the sauce, mozzarella cheese, and another 1/4 cup of broth. Toss together.

When pasta is done cooking, add it to the skillet. Toss together so pasta and veggies are coated in sauce. Season with black pepper. Sprinkle with additional parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes: To re-heat, you can either add to skillet with some extra broth, or bake in an oven-safe dish until warmed.