Heart Healthy Lima Bean Pesto Pasta Recipes

HEART HEALTHY LIMA BEAN PESTO & PASTA

Steps:

• Into a running food processor place lima beans and garlic add arugula, basil and cheeses. Pulse to blend.
• Slowly add oil through feed tube to make a nice paste.
• Season with salt and sriracha sauce to your heat level.
• Toss on to hot cooked cavatappi pasta.
• Sprinkle with grated cheese and watch it disappear.

PASTA, GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Make pesto: In the bowl of food processor, add basil, pine nuts, salt and garlic. Pulse until mixture is coarse and grainy. With the motor running, add oil in slow, steady stream. Add cheese; process just enough to mix well. If sauce is too dry, add a little more oil. Taste; add more cheese or salt, if desired.
• Bring 6 quarts water to rolling boil. Add at least 2 tablespoons salt and the potato slices. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until potatoes have started to soften but are not cooked through. Add green beans, and continue boiling another 5 minutes.
• Add pasta, and stir. Start testing pasta at 5 minutes. When it is done, and when potatoes and beans are tender, drain and turn pasta and vegetables immediately into preheated bowl. Add pesto, and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

WHITE BEAN PESTO

Steps:

• Remove the basil leaves from the thick stalks. Add basil to the food processor.
• Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and garlic powder to the basil in the food processor. Process on high about 1 minute to break up the basil well.
• Add the spinach to the food processor and process on high about 1 minute to incorporate the spinach with the basil.
• Rinse and drain the can of white beans. Add the drained white beans to the food processor and process on high 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Test the texture and consistency of the white bean pesto. It will continue to thicken as it sits. If you want a thinner sauce, add water 1-2 tbsp. at a time and process again until you have the right consistency.

PESTO PASTA WITH WHITE BEANS AND HALLOUMI

Steps:

• Prepare the pasta: Add the oil to a large, lidded sauté pan, and then place it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and chile, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic is nicely golden. Stir in the thyme, beans, pasta, stock, 2 teaspoons salt and plenty of pepper, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, with the lid off, for about 5 to 10 minutes. This will help it absorb more of the liquid.
• As the pasta cooks, make the pesto: To a food processor, add the nuts, garlic, arugula (rocket), parsley, half the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Pulse a few times, scraping down the sides and pulsing again until you have a coarse paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the remaining olive oil, adding a touch extra if needed to loosen the pesto.
• When ready to serve, stir the lemon juice and half the pesto into the pasta (discard the chile, if you wish) and transfer to a large serving bowl or platter with a lip. Sprinkle over about half the halloumi, and serve with the extra halloumi and pesto to eat alongside.

HERBY PESTO, BEAN & POTATO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 5 mins. Add the pasta and cook following pack instructions. Add the green beans 3 mins before the end.
• Meanwhile, in a mini chopper or small food processor, blitz the pesto ingredients until roughly chopped.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain and tip back into the pan. Toss through the pesto and crème fraîche and divide into bowls. Serve with shaved Parmesan on top.

PASTA AND WHITE BEANS WITH BROCCOLI PESTO

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook broccoli until tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a food processor. Return water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
• To food processor, add oil, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and garlic. Puree until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down side as needed. Transfer pesto to pot with pasta. Stir to coat, adding enough reserved pasta water to make a creamy sauce. Stir in beans and heat over medium until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

EASY PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Boil spaghetti in a large pan according to pack instructions. Drain well, then return to the pan with the pesto and half the Parmesan. Toss well, then tip into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.