Pasta With Green Beans And Almond Gremolata Recipes

GREEN BEANS WITH ALMOND GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Green beans: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the red wine vinegar and cook until reduced by half; then add the remaining olive oil and the green beans. Season with salt and pepper. Use tongs to stir and coat the green beans in oil. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but with a slight crunch, 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, assemble the Almond Gremolata.
• Almond Gremolata: Mince the garlic. Combine with almonds and preserved lemon. Finely chop the parsley and add to other ingredients; give a quick stir to combine. Add the Champagne vinegar, olive oil, and sugar; whisk until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Makes about 2 cups. (Note: If making ahead of time, store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature and stir to recombine before using.)
• Assembly: Transfer green beans to a serving platter and top with a few spoonfuls of Almond Gremolata. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PASTA WITH GREEN BEANS AND ALMOND GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-low heat, toast the almonds, stirring frequently so they don't burn, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine the almonds, celery or parsley leaves, lemon zest, garlic and a pinch of salt. Set aside and wipe out skillet.
• Add pasta to boiling water and cook until it is al dente, according to package directions. About 2 minutes before it's done, add the beans to the pasta pot. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta and beans.
• While the pasta and beans drain, make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in the large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is golden in color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet (be careful of splattering) and cook until it is reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes more. Turn heat to medium and add the pasta, green beans and butter to the skillet and toss until the butter melts. Add the cheese and an additional 1/4 cup water and toss until the cheese is emulsified and the pasta is glossy with sauce. If needed, add an additional 1/4 cup pasta water to loosen. Season with kosher salt, to taste.
• Transfer the pasta to a large bowl, top with gremolata and drizzle with more olive oil. Pass additional grated cheese at the table, if desired.