Penne with Summer Vegetables and Mint-Basil Pesto
Penne with crisp summer vegetables, cherry tomatoes and peas, finished with a fresh mint and basil pesto. The dish is ready in about 30 minutes and needs only a short time at the stove.
By yumbelo · 4 servings · 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 400 g Penne
- 250 g Green beans
- 2 pc Zucchini
- 250 g Cherry tomatoes
- 150 g Peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 pc Garlic clove
- 6 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 pc Organic lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 bunch Basil
- 20 g Mint
- 50 g Parmesan, freshly grated
- 30 g Sunflower seeds
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Method
- Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Cook the penne in it until al dente, according to the package instructions.
- Trim the green beans, halve them and add them to the water during the last 5 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Add the peas if they are frozen.
- Quarter the zucchini lengthwise and slice thinly. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Finely chop the garlic clove.
- Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Fry the zucchini over medium to high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned, then season with salt and pepper.
- Briefly fry the tomatoes and garlic until the tomatoes begin to soften slightly. Remove the pan from the heat.
- For the pesto, finely blend basil, mint, Parmesan, sunflower seeds, the juice of half a lemon and four tablespoons of olive oil in a blender or with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drain the pasta and vegetables, reserving a cup of pasta water. Return everything to the pot and toss with the pesto. Add a little pasta water if needed until the sauce becomes creamy.
- Serve with lemon zest, a little Parmesan and fresh herbs.