Cavatappi with Spinach, Beans, and Asiago Cheese

The was quick, easy, and delicious. I used pecorino romano since I had it on hand. I sautéed the garlic in oil, added beans, spices, and simmered for 10 minutes. Added spinach then cooked pasta and cheese. YUM.

This was very fast, easy and, with a few tweaks, very good. I mixed up everything but the spinach and pasta first, adding a couple extra tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Then, because I only had spaghetti to work with, I decided to mash the beans up a bit so they could stick to the pasta, which ended up working beautifully. Once the pasta was done, I mixed it, the spinach, and about 1/2 cup of pasta water in with everything else, then threw it back it the pot and on the stove for a couple of minutes until everything was heated and the spinach was wilted to my liking. I ended up with a really nice, thick sauce that coated the pasta very well and was quite tasty. I'll definitely make this again.

I've made this many times because it's so easy and the family loves it. I tried the ideas on here and added a bit of reserved pasta water for moisture and lemon zest for additional flavor. Both were great ideas. At first I found it odd to add fresh uncooked garlic. Try it before you review! That's what gives it all the flavor! You could also add a pinch (to taste) of red pepper flakes. Finally, the slightly wilted baby spinach gives this a unique texture and flavor and sets this apart from all your other pasta dishes with cooked spinach and garlic. This is so easy and light. Great for every day or for a crowd.

This dish was selected by Cooking Light as their best pasta recipe in 20 years. I make it as directed, but there is a secret. It takes less than 10 minutes to mix all the ingredients but the spinach and the pasta. I do this an hour or two before dinner and just let it sit on the counter with plastic wrap. During that time, the oil and beans infuse with a fantastic flavor. When ready for dinner, I cut the fresh spinach and lay it on top of the beans. I pour the boiling hot pasta from the strainer on top of the spinach, and then I put a big pot lid over the whole thing to help the spinach wilt. After a couple of minutes, I toss it all together. It's a 15 minute meal, and it's phenomenal.

We love this recipe--it is one of my husband's favorites. The simple flavors blend beautifully to make a fresh, vibrant dish. The only change I make to the recipe is to briefly sautee the garlic in the oil and then wilt the spinach before adding remaining ingredients. We like it both hot and cold.

Loved this but made a few minor changes. Sauteed the garlic in olive oil, added the spinach to wilt and then the drained beans. Cooked everything down while water for pasta boiled. I added some fresh diced tomatoes and let them cook down while pasta boiling. Too lazy to shred cheese so used some grated parm/reg I had in the fridge.

I found this to be dry.I added lemon juice and it certainly brightened it up. There was a little too much spinach. I would save some of the pasta water to add back to the dish to make it a little more moist.

Maybe I did something wrong? This was a very bland recipe. Maybe I added too much pasta but I think it needs more oil and garlic. And the beans should be folded in at the very end to prevent crushing them, as mine started to fall apart. Maybe add some cherry tomatoes too for more flavor.

This was little blah, but has potential. Sauteed the garlic and added zest and juice of 1/2 lemon at the end, which brightened the flavors significantly. Next time, I will cube a bit on pancetta and render the fat to saute the garlic, maybe add some shallot or onion. That would make this great!

As is this recipe is pretty bland in my opinion. I took the advice of other reviewers and decided to cook the garlic. I chopped 1/2 med onion and sauteed in olive oil w/the garlic and added the white beans at the end to heat them. I added 1/2 c chopped walnuts as well for texture and extra protein. I also squeezed some lemon juice onto the dish once it was served and this made it all worth it! I will be making it again with my modifications.