How on Earth is it September already? It really feels like everything has been back to front and upside down this year, hasn’t it? I think I have mentioned that I am having a bit of a thing for green beans and as the season is coming to an end shortly I thought I would squeeze in one more recipe featuring these vibrantly green pods.
It’s super simple and perfect for when you are busy as it comes together really quickly. You can use shop-bought vegan pesto, but I much more prefer to make it from scratch. I tend to freeze it in a dedicated ice-cube tray and thaw individual pesto cubes as and when needed. It’s a good system that minimises waste and allows you to whip up a quick and nutritious meal at the drop of a hat. For the pesto itself, I used basil as it grows well on my windowsill (as opposed to the mature one I planted in my herb garden as it got decimated by slugs within days so that only the bare, sad looking stalks remained 🙁 ) but you can use pretty much any leafy herb or green leafy vegetable you want. Both spinach and kale work well, as well as mint, coriander and parsley. In an effort to make this dish as simple as possible, I cook the beans and pasta together at the same time. It saves on washing up and renders a really good result. As the cooking time of the pasta and beans obviously differs, I add the chopped up beans for the last 2-3 minutes of the pasta cooking time and then drain and stir a good spoonful or two of pesto through and voila!
1 large courgette, sliced thickly 1 tsp olive oil 100 g / 3½ oz green beans 200 g / 7 oz pasta (GF if necessary) or boiled potatoes 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts 2 tbsp toasted coarse breadcrumbs (optional)
