Orecchiette with pesto and green beans

A fantastic way to make the most of the flavours in fresh green beans!

The quantities below serve 3, but I'm sure that if you were to increase the pasta to 300g (to serve 4) the remaining quantities, perhaps with some more beans if you had them, would be fine.

Adapted from http://manykitchens.com/blogs/many-kitchens/8343327-sting-came-back-for-seconds

Vegetarian (depending on the cheese used)

Ingredients

225g orecchiette

3 good handfuls of green beans (approx 190g), topped & tailed

Maldon salt

35g pine nuts

2 cups basil leaves

1 clove garlic

120ml extra virgin olive oil

80g Parmesan, grated

1 tbsp ricotta

Directions

I didn't alter the original directions too much, but here's how I made it:

  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil & pop the pasta in to cook.
  2. Blitz together the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil. Stir the Parmesan into this mixture.
  3. Five minutes before the pasta is ready add in the green beans.
  4. Once the pasta is al dente drain it and the beans. Return them to the saucepan and mix the pesto and ricotta with them.
  5. Serve immediately.

This recipe tastes even better made with vegetables from Community Harvest Whetstone :)

Orecchiette with pesto and green beans in bowls