Runner bean and pesto trofie
by
Pasta with pesto and green beans is a classic dish from Liguria in Italy, but when in season runner beans are a fantastic addition. Trofie pasta is particularly good at picking up the verdant sauce, but you can use whatever shape you like. Switch out the pecorino and Parmesan with vegetarian cheeses if you'd prefer.
For more ideas on how to cook runner beans, take a look at Anna's other recipes.
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
2
Start by making the pesto. Place the pine nuts on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 5 minutes until golden. Allow to cool
3
I prefer a smooth pesto (which is controversial) but I like the pale green colour you get from it. If you’re on board with this, then place all of the ingredients for the pesto (except the oil) in a blender (not a food processor). Blend for a few seconds to get it going, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you have a smooth green sauce
4
If you take umbrage with smooth pesto, then you can also make it in a pestle and mortar. In this case, leave out the water. Place the garlic, pine nuts, basil, salt and pepper in the mortar and pound until you have a paste. Mix in the grated cheese and olive oil. In both cases check the seasoning and adjust as necessary
5
Prep the runner beans. If the beans are young and tender, then you can probably get away with not having to de-string them. If they’re older then remove the strings by running a peeler down the length of the edge of the bean (the side that has a small ridge on it) and top and tail them
6
Once this is done, slice the runner beans at an angle into dainty ribbons, about ½ cm wide. Boil the beans in a pot of salted water for about 4 minutes until they are just cooked (but certainly not al-dente). Drain
7
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the trofie according to the packet instructions. Two minutes before the pasta is ready, warm the beans and pesto, along with 3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water
8
When the pasta is ready, drain it, reserving a teacup full of the cooking water. Mix the pasta in with the beans and pesto. Check the seasoning. Add enough pasta water so that you have a slick sauce that gently clings to the trofie
9
Serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan on top
Discover more:
Go to Comments
Runner bean and pesto trofie
