Fast Postpartum Lunch: Featuring Cannellini Beans

Eat. Sleep. Poop.  

That is the life of a newborn baby....and a postpartum mom.

A postpartum mom often finds herself starting the day feeding her baby, and may grab a piece of bread and eat it plain...cause it's at least food.  She may have enough brain power from the the 3-5 hours of sleep the night before to grab an apple, but probably just go for the cup of coffee.

She'll sit in her nursing chair, nursing her baby most of the day.  And then, it starts.  The grumblings of her empty stomach, as it is now 2pm...way past lunch.

"What can I make? I have no food!"

Here is where I come in - A Super Easy Tasty Lunch!   You don't need to have much in your fridge to create this lunch, just a can of beans and some dried pasta. Plus, you can add fresh or frozen veggies to this dish depending on what you have (or don't have) in the fridge or freezer.

So what are we making? It's a Creamy Pasta with Cannellini Bean Sauce. Most have some kind of dried pasta in our pantries, use whatever type (regular or whole wheat) and shape (penne, macaroni, spaghetti, etc.). In the photos I used my kid's Travel Shaped pastas (as in pasta shaped like planes, cars, boats....you get the idea).  Canned Cannellini beans or some type of white beans will work great in this recipe.  Plus you'll need either your food processor or I use my single-serve smoothie maker...and just clean out well before making your fruit smoothie.  :) 

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients
1 can (15oz) Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4oz creamy goat cheese or cream cheese or sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
8 oz. desired pasta
About 1 cup (more or less) of available vegetables, i.e. tomatoes, spinach, peas, broccoli, etc. (if using frozen, heat up before adding to pasta)

Method
Combine the beans, goat cheese/cream cheese/sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cheese (if including) in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Cook your pasta until al dente. Drain the water from the pot and toss the sauce with the pasta. Add in extra vegetables if desired.
Serve hot or cold the following day. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Enjoy!

Alexia

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