Artichoke and tomatoes make this dish seem like more work than it was

Back from a road trip, we needed something quick and easy to put together. Of course, we wanted something that tasted great too.

This recipe fit the bill on all counts.

I found a can of fire roasted tomatoes at an Italian market on a recent trip across the state and decided to try it in this recipe. Just that little change made it seem like something that I had slaved over, but really this takes only about half an hour from the time you pop open the first can to table.

You can't go wrong with this as a main dish vegan meal or as a great side dish for others.

You didn't really work all day artichoke tomato pasta

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 small (7 or 8 ounce) can of marinated artichoke hearts
1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon of  dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 15 ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 pound of dried pasta (I used a combination of medium shells and penne because I had a partial box of each to use up.)

• Start a stockpot full of water boiling for the pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, rimmed skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic until they're soft.
• Drain the artichoke hearts of about half the liquid. Once the onions and garlic are softened, add the artichokes, undrained tomatoes, dried herbs, and some black pepper to the skillet. Cover and let the whole lot simmer while the pasta cooks.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain and return it to the stockpot.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta and add in the beans.
• Toss gently to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkling with parmesan cheese if desired.

Vegan.