Pasta With White Beans, Olives and Fennel
Updated Oct. 21, 2025
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Salt, as needed
- 8ounces short pasta, such as shells, campanelle, cavatappi or fusilli
- 5tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- ½cup torn pitted olives (black or green or a combination)
- 4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½teaspoon fennel seeds
- Crushed red pepper
- 1(15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh fennel fronds or parsley, for serving (optional)
- Parmesan, for serving (optional)
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then season it liberally with salt; it should taste as salty as the sea. Add pasta to the pot and cook until just shy of al dente (check package directions and subtract a minute or so). Using a large mug or measuring cup, scoop out about a cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta well.
- Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the olives (you should hear them sizzle) and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, fennel seeds and a large pinch of red pepper; cook until the garlic is golden, another minute or two.
- Step 3
Add the white beans and let simmer until the mixture thickens, 4 to 8 minutes, mashing some of the beans into a chunky purée.
- Step 4
Toss in the pasta and a large splash of pasta water. Using tongs, keep tossing until everything is well combined and the pasta is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed to make things saucy. Season with more salt if needed and toss in the herbs, if using. Serve immediately, with more red pepper flakes and cheese, if you like, and lemon wedges for squeezing.
Private Notes
Comments
I love beans with or as a substitute for pasta. Made this last night with rigatoni but with my own cooked cannellini beans. It was good. If I was to use canned beans, before adding to the pasta, I would rinse them well and then simmer in a pan for 10 minutes in a bit of stock or water with some preferred seasoning/herbs to counter the tinny taste canned beans can have.
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
@Margaret I would say choose another recipe. Melissa has tons of good ones out there
For me, the execution of this dish was rough going. With the sizzle of the olives came the splatter of the oil. And the sliced garlic really started to brown and get crispy within seconds of adding it to the pan. Too much pasta water was needed to keep it saucy, which diluted the flavors. Recommend using a splatter guard and giving the oil a minute or two to reduce in temp before adding the garlic.
Made it with fennel bulb (sautéed beforehand) and added some lemon rind at the end. Absolutely scrumptious, bright and zesty. Was also tasty as a cold pasta salad the next day.
little dry so less pasta or more pasta water. used black olives but kalamata will give nice flavor for next time.