Lightened Up White Sauce

This recipe was one happy accident and a good reminder that not everything that doesn’t turned out as planned isn’t great.

I started out trying to make a white bean dip since hummus hasn’t been appetizing at all lately. As soon as I whirled these ingredients in the food processor and tasted it, I could tell it was delicious but not quite a “dip”. This definitely couldn’t go to waste.

The great thing about pasta is that it takes on all the flavors of the sauce on it making it the perfect canvas for the basil, spicy black pepper, and tangy rich goat cheese. The beans cut out half the fat but don’t sacrifice flavor or texture. You’d never even guess they were there!

Lightened Up White Sauce

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 4 servings):

• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4oz creamy goat cheese*
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Small handful basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Lemon zest to finish

*You could also use 4oz neufchatel cream cheese for a less tangy flavor.

Method:

1. Combine the beans, goat cheese, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and basil in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Cook your pasta until al dente. Drain the water from the pot and toss each serving of pasta with 1/4 cup of sauce. Add in extra vegetables if desired.
3. Serve hot and finish with lemon zest and extra black pepper.
4. Store leftover sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Definitely a happy accident.