This skillet meal saves me on a busy weeknight so often! If you have bacon in the fridge and some chopped broccoli in the freezer, you can have this on the table in 30 minutes. This White Bean Skillet dinner is made with orzo pasta, bacon, garlic, broccoli, and white beans. You will love it!
I love a good one pan meal, and I love it even more if it uses the last bit of pasta on the shelf. The skillet part of this meal comes together in the time it takes to bring water to a boil to cook the pasta.
In the skillet, we melt olive oil and chopped bacon together to form the base of the sauce for coating the pasta. After seasoning the oil with garlic and red pepper flakes, we'll cook the broccoli in a bit of chicken broth before stirring in the white beans. I like to add some Parmesan cheese to the pan and serve it with more at the table.
The way the bacon, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese come together to coat everything in the pan in a warm, flavorful sauce is unforgettable!
The Ingredients
- Pasta. You can use any type of small pasta for this recipe. I prefer 1 cup of whole wheat orzo, but use what you have.
- Olive Oil. A small amount of olive oil for bringing the sauce together. It doesn't need to be extra virgin since we're cooking with it.
- Bacon. Three strips of bacon that you slice into 2-inch pieces.
- Garlic. Four cloves of minced fresh garlic sounds like a lot of garlic, but trust me! It flavors the sauce that coats everything in the pan.
- Red Pepper Flakes. Adding spiciness to the pan is entirely optional, but if you like red pepper flakes, they're so good here.
- Broccoli. This is the best use for frozen chopped broccoli, in my opinion. You just need 1 cup, no need to thaw it!
- Broth. You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth here, your choice. We need 1 cup.
- Beans. One 15-ounce can of white beans, either cannellini beans or navy beans are fine. Be sure to rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the skillet.
- Parmesan Cheese. Stir in ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese in the skillet, but also serve extra at the table.
How to Make White Bean Skillet
First, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large 10-inch skillet, add the chopped bacon and olive oil. Let cook until the bacon is almost crisp, and then stir in the garlic. Saute garlic for 30 seconds.
Once the garlic is fragrant, stir in the red pepper flakes and broccoli. Cook for about 5 minutes, just to soften, while stirring occasionally. Then, add the chicken broth and lower the heat. Keep warm while the pasta finishes cooking.
Add the freshly cooked pasta and rinsed and drained beans to the skillet. Toss everything together very well, adding extra chicken broth, if necessary to make a pan sauce.
Finally, stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.
Other Skillet Bean Recipes for You:
White Bean Skillet
White bean skillet with bacon and broccoli.
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 strips of bacon, diced into 2" pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, rinsed
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo according to the package instructions, and be sure to stir frequently.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add the olive oil and bacon pieces. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the bacon until almost crisp.
- Stir the garlic and red pepper flakes into the bacon mixture, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Next, add the broccoli to the pan and stir to coat with the oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then lower the heat. Add the chicken broth and stir to combine, and keep warm while the pasta finishes cooking.
- When the orzo is done cooking, drain it, and add it to the skillet.
- Add the rinsed beans, too. Toss to mix everything, and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Taste, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
Pasta: You can use any shape of small pasta. I used whole wheat orzo in the photos.
Broccoli: This is a great time to use chopped frozen broccoli.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 659mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 9gSugar: 2gProtein: 19g
Laura
I’m dairy free, wondering if you think this would come together ok without the Parmesan? I’d probably add a bit of salt, and maybe vinegar or lemon, to balance the missing flavor, but will the consistency/texture be off? Any other ideas to make it dairy free?
Thanks so much!!