Recipe

Penne with Green Beans and Pesto

By: 

Co+op

Recipe Information

Total Time: 

25 minutes; 10 minutes active

Servings: 

4

This is one of our High Five recipes, made from five main ingredients or less. Simplify your life with more delicious High Five recipes.

Green beans and pesto are an age-old combo, and they give this easy pasta eye-appeal as well as great flavor. Canned beans and roasted peppers from the pantry make it as convenient as possible. You can make this with jarred pesto from the store, or any that you might have made and frozen yourself last summer.

Ingredients

The High Five

  • 8 ounces green beans, chopped
  • 8 ounces penne pasta
  • 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 small roasted red peppers, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1/4 cup pesto sauce

Pantry and Kitchen Items

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional

Preparation

  1. Put on a large pot of water to boil for the pasta, and add a teaspoon of salt. Trim the green beans and chop in 3/4-inch long pieces; reserve. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, about 10 minutes. Add the green beans to the pot for the last 5 minutes. Drain well.
  2. In the pot you cooked the pasta in, place the red peppers, and the drained pasta and beans. Add the white beans and pesto and toss to coat, stirring over low heat to warm through. Taste to see if you need salt; many pestos have enough salt to do the trick, but you may want a little more.
  3. Serve warm.

Serving Suggestion

A grilled vegetable antipasto and garlicky tomato bruschetta pair up nicely, with penne as the main attraction.

Nutritional Information

370 calories, 11 g. fat, 55 mg. cholesterol, 360 mg. sodium, 56 g. carbohydrate, 9 g. fiber, 14 g. protein