Sardine Pesto Pasta with White Beans & Peas

A hearty pesto pasta with sardines, creamy Great Northern beans, sweet peas, red onion, and tangy low-fat feta. I like using protein pasta with extra protein and fiber from legumes.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 7¼ oz dry protein pasta (half of a 14.5 oz box)

• 6 cans sardines, or as little or as much as you like

• 1 can Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 bag (12 oz) frozen peas

• ½ red onion, chopped

• 1 container (4 oz) low-fat feta

• Pesto, to taste

• Butter, to taste

• Garlic powder, to taste

• Red onion flakes, to taste

• Reserved pasta water, as needed

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the peas near the end, allowing enough time for them to cook according to their package instructions. Reserve some pasta water before draining.

2. Sauté the red onion in a little butter until softened. For extra crunch, reserve half of the chopped onion to add raw at the end—that means ¼ of a whole onion cooked and ¼ raw.

3. Stir the drained beans, garlic powder, and red onion flakes into the cooked onion. Warm gently.

4. Mash the sardines in a large serving bowl, then add the warm bean and onion mixture. You can also keep the sardines separate and add your preferred amount to each bowl.

5. Toss the pasta and peas with pesto and butter to taste. Add a splash of reserved pasta water as needed to help the sauce coat everything.

6. Spoon the pesto pasta over the sardine and bean mixture, or gently fold everything together. Fold in the feta and finish with the reserved raw red onion, if using. Divide into 6 servings.

Katie’s Notes

Six cans gives you one can per serving, but use as little or as much sardines as you like! Four cans makes a lighter fish portion; twelve cans gives you two cans per serving. Adjust individual bowls if everyone prefers a different amount.

Pesto, butter, and seasonings are added to taste. Start with a little and adjust after combining everything. Optional finishing touches include lemon juice or toasted breadcrumbs. Instead of adding all the raw onion to the batch, you can sprinkle it over individual servings.

Estimated Protein Guide

Each row assumes the entire batch is divided evenly into 6 servings, with the same pasta, beans, peas, and 4 oz low-fat feta. Protein shown is for the whole bowl, not just the sardines.

Estimates use approximately 16 g protein per serving from the pasta, beans, peas, and feta, plus 18–23 g protein per can of sardines. Brands, can sizes, and drained amounts vary; this is a rough guide, not a verified nutrition label. Pesto is not included in the estimate.

Total sardine cans → cans per serving → estimated protein per bowl

4 cans total · 0.67 cans per serving · 28–31 g protein

5 cans total · 0.83 cans per serving · 31–35 g protein

6 cans total · 1 can per serving · 34–39 g protein

7 cans total · 1.17 cans per serving · 37–43 g protein

8 cans total · 1.33 cans per serving · 40–47 g protein

9 cans total · 1.50 cans per serving · 43–51 g protein

10 cans total · 1.67 cans per serving · 46–54 g protein

11 cans total · 1.83 cans per serving · 49–58 g protein

12 cans total · 2 cans per serving · 52–62 g protein

For your own labels: protein per serving ≈ 16 + (cans in batch × protein per can ÷ 6). Check protein for the entire can, since some labels list more than one serving per can.