Spicy and tangy, this Creamy Harissa Pasta with White Beans is here to solve your mid-week dinner conundrum! Easy and quick to make, with protein from the beans, bags of flavour and a spice level that can be dialled up or down, this pasta is one the whole family will love!
I adore Harissa, that red, chilli-spiked condiment from North Africa. It can be gentle, and it can be fierce, and best of all, pairs beautifully with all kinds of dishes, adding flavour wherever it goes.
This simple pasta dish was actually inspired by this other mid-week pasta I often make Tomato and White Bean Pasta , but I wanted to use up some Harissa that I had purchased to make this delicious Baked Harissa Mushroom Recipe. Harissa is one of those condiments that once you get to know it, can go in lots delicious savoury dishes!
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🍝Ingredients
Once you find a good harissa paste, the ingredients for this dinner are super simple.
- Harissa Paste: Harissa is a Tunisian and North African chile paste made with dried chile, tomato paste, garlic, citrus and spices such as cumin, coriander seeds and caraway seeds as well as olive oil. Different varieties might include rose petals or other spices. It's gently spicy, with a tangy, addictive flavour. I buy it in my local supermarket in jars, and my favourite olive vendor also sells it by weight at my local farmers market! Like any good condiment, there are many ways to make it, and each will taste a little different.
- White Beans: I use white cannellini beans from a tin/can in this recipe. They slightly break down to help form the sauce, plus add fibre and protein to the recipe. You can also use butter beans, lima beans or chickpeas.
- Pasta: I like to use large rigatoni or penne in this, as it holds the creamy sauce, however, feel free to use any pasta you prefer.
- Kale or Spinach: I love adding greens to a creamy pasta dish. Dinosaur kale/Cavolo Nero is delicious or why not try spinach, spring greens or broccoli florets?
- Garlic: Fresh garlic, sliced. Measure the amount with your heart!
- Black Olives: Chopped Kalamata black olives or green, your choice, just be sure they are good quality and not the sad pre-chopped tinned variety.
- Lemon Zest: Don't skimp on this, the added lemon zest at the end lifts the dish, making it fresh as well as comforting and spicy.
- Oat or Soya Cream: Choose either or even dairy single cream (if you must) I like oat cream for adding a little extra creaminess which brings the pasta dish together.
- Olive Oil: Good quality olive oil for sizzling the garlic and harissa paste in.
- Salt to Taste: Salt the pasta water, and salt the dish.
- Parsley to serve: Optional!
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
- Before starting the chopping, put a big pan of water on to boil for the pasta.
- Slice the garlic and olives, and prepare the kale or spinach so it is ready to use when you need it.
- Add the pasta to the pasta water: Ordinary pasta takes 8-12 minutes, which gives you pretty much the exact time you need to make the sauce.
Sizzle the garlic and harissa in olive oil so the garlic softens and the harissa starts to smell amazing.
Add in the drained white beans and stir. Then add in the olives.
Stir the greens (kale or spinach) into the harissa and beans.
Add the oat or soya cream and lemon zest. Test for flavor and add more salt. Finally, add the drained pasta and stir, then serve.
Hint: Add more harissa at the point of adding in the cream if you taste the dish and you want it spicier! Some harissa pastes are milder than others, so go buy your own taste buds.
🌶Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free - the sauce ingredients for this pasta are all totally gluten-free, so to make this recipe 100% gluten-free, choose a gluten-free pasta.
- Chiptole: Can't find Harissa? Use Chiptole paste instead and add in some ground cumin and coriander powder. Finish with a little extra lemon juice for the zingy citrus flavour that Harissa has.
- Nutritional Yeast: I have made this recipe with, and without nutritional yeast. It adds subtle cheesiness to the dish which is nice, but it's not strictly necessary as it's already so flavorful.
- Kid-Friendly- Harissa is quite spicy, but once the vegan cream is added, the whole dish is very balanced and nutritious. Make this dish more kiddo friendly by only adding a little harissa, then maybe stirring in extra for the adults just before serving.
- Other Beans: Feel free to swap out the Cannellini beans with butter beans, lima beans or even chickpeas.
- Different Types of Harissa Paste: Rose Harissa is delicious and very popular, I have tested this recipe with both it, and plain harissa and both are *chef's kiss*. I have also seen (but not yet tested) Apricot Harissa and smoked Harissa.
🔪Equipment
Although you can make this Creamy Harissa Pasta in an ordinary deep skillet, it is lovely to use a casserole dish or dutch oven. One day I'd like to be able to have this Le Crueset pan to use, but it the meantime I use a pan we picked up at a garage sale!
🥫Storage
For any leftovers, this pasta stores well for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, just pop it in the microwave, or reheat it in a pan on the stove with a little water. Or just eat it cold, straight from the fridge. It's actually pretty tasty like that (ahem, I definitely tested that for you!)
❗Top tip
Cooking the harissa paste in olive oil when you start the cooking process helps open up the delicious spices, making the dish more flavorful.
FAQ
Tomato Paste, Chilli Powder, Ground Coriander and Cumin plus lemon juice and olive oil mixed together are good substitutes. Alternatively, if you can find chipotle paste, use that with some added lemon juice and cumin powder.
Yes you can. Rose harissa is a little more fragrant, as it has dried rose petals in it, but both are delicious in this dish.
Harissa is generally a medium chili heat, however different brands and places have different heat levels. I suggest trying a little before putting lots in if you are heat sensitive.
More Harissa Recipes!
Why not try my other recipes that include harissa so you don't waste the jar!
Pairing
Why not serve a fresh salad alongside this Creamy Harissa Pasta with White Beans? :
📖 Recipe
Creamy Harissa Pasta with White Beans
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) Dried Pasta- such as rigatoni or penne (I always allow for 100g dried pasta per person. )
- 240 g (1 ⅓ cups) cannellini beans (equivalent to 1 drained 400g or 15oz tin/can )
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) harissa paste (use more if you like heat!)
- 4 cloves garlic (or more, measure with your heart. )
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) olive oil
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) olives (kalamata, green or your favourite.)
- 250 ml (1 cups) Oat or Soya Single Cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 120 g (3 cups) cavolo nero or kale
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put your pasta water on to boil.
- Now chop the garlic, strip and chop the kale (or just rinse if pre-chopped), and chop the olives into smaller pieces. Open the tin of beans, drain & rinse.
- Add the 4 cloves garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pan and gently sizzle over a low flame.
- Add in the 1 tablespoon harissa paste and heat.
- By now the pasta water should be boiling. Add a big pinch of salt and the 400 g Dried Pasta- such as rigatoni or penne
- Add the 240 g cannellini beans to the harissa and stir to combine.
- Now add in the 2 tablespoon olives and stir into the beans.
- Then add the chopped 120 g cavolo nero or kale and stir so it wilts.
- Finally, just before you add the pasta into the sauce, add the 250 ml Oat or Soya Single Cream and 1 teaspoon lemon zest and stir. Test the for the flavour balance here and add Salt & pepper to taste or more harissa paste if you want it spicier.
- Tip all the pasta into the sauce and give it a good old stir. Add extra olive oil and/or salt to season.
- Serve in bowls with parsley on top if you wish.
Notes
🌶Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free - the sauce ingredients for this pasta are all totally gluten-free, so to make this recipe 100% gluten-free, choose a gluten-free pasta.
- Chiptole: Can't find Harissa? Use Chiptole paste instead and add in some ground cumin and coriander powder. Finish with a little extra lemon juice for the zingy citrus flavor that Harissa has.
- Nutritional Yeast: I have made this recipe with, and without nutritional yeast. It adds subtle cheesiness to the dish which is nice, but it's not strictly necessary as it's already so flavorful.
- Kid-Friendly- Harissa is quite spicy, but once the vegan cream is added, the whole dish is very balanced and nutritious. Make this dish more kiddo friendly by only adding a little harissa, then maybe stirring in extra for the adults just before serving.
- Other Beans: Feel free to swap out the Cannellini beans with butter beans, lima beans or even chickpeas.
- Different Types of Harissa Paste: Rose Harissa is delicious and very popular, I have tested this recipe with both it, and plain harissa and both are *chef's kiss*. I have also seen (but not yet tested) Apricot Harissa and smoked Harissa.
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