ORECCHIETTE WITH BASIL AND PISTACHIO PESTO AND GREEN AND YELLOW BEANS

Orecchiette With Basil and Pistachio Pesto and Green and Yellow Beans image

The small ear-shaped pasta provides hollows for the delicious sauce to settle into. I've combined pasta, pesto and green beans before, but I've never used orecchiette, the small ear-shaped pasta. I cut the beans into small lengths so that everything is bite-size. I love the way the pesto settles into the little hollows of the orecchiette.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories dinner, easy, lunch, quick, pastas, main course

Time 30m

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

2 cups, tightly packed, basil leaves (2 ounces)
2 heaped tablespoons unsalted pistachios (1 ounce)
Salt to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved, green shoots removed if present
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (1/2 cup)
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound orecchiette
1 pound mixed green and yellow beans, trimmed and cut in 3/4-inch lengths (you can use all green beans if yellow beans are unavailable)
Pasta water (about 1/4 cup)

Steps:

Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Meanwhile grind the basil leaves and pistachios in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or in a mortar and pestle. Add salt to taste and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Blend or grind until smooth.
Mash the garlic in a mortar and pestle or through a garlic press and add to the basil mixture. Blend together. Add the cheese and blend together. Taste, adjust salt and add pepper. Transfer to a large pasta bowl.
When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the orecchiette. Set the timer for 10 minutes, and after 5 minutes add the green beans. Boil the orecchiette and beans until the pasta is cooked al dente, another 5 to 6 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the cooking water from the pot and add 2 to 4 tablespoons to the pesto. Stir with a fork or a whisk until the pesto is smooth (add more water if desired). Drain the pasta and beans, toss with the pesto and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 495, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 68 grams, Fat 18 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 17 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 448 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams