Nosh on bowtie pasta with beans and greens

When you cook pasta, some of the starch in the noodles clouds the water, creating a stock that's perfect for sauces. We'll show you how to make a delicious pasta dish and a tomato and cheese sauce to go with it.

This recipe takes 10 minutes to prep, 20 to cook, and will serve 6. Here's what you need:

• 450 g (1 3/4 cup) bowtie pasta, preferably whole-grain
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, cut into little matchsticks
• 50 ml (1/4 cup) sliced oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (425 g/15 oz) low-sodium small white beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 450 g (1 3/4 cups) arugula or baby spinach leaves
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
• 50 g (1/3 cup) grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the bowties according to the package directions, then drain, reserving 250 millilitres (one cup) of the pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook gently until the garlic is soft but not browned, three to four minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, beans, and arugula or spinach. Cook just until the greens begin to wilt, three to four minutes, stirring a few times.
3. Make a well in the centre of the pan and combine the reserved pasta water, butter, salt, and Parmesan in the well until blended. Stir into the other ingredients then add the drained pasta, tossing to coat with the sauce.
4. Divide among pasta bowls and serve.

Each serving contains the following:

• 433 Calories
• 10 g Fat (4 g saturated fat)
• 70 g Carbs (6 g fibre)
• 17 g Protein
• 14 mg Cholesterol
• 318 mg Sodium
• 215 mg Calcium

Anyone can make pasta, but some find sauces to be intimidating. They aren't. Especially when the recipe is as simple as this one. So get your feet wet in the sauce-making world and give this easy recipe a try!