Pasta with mint pesto and fava beans is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a light lunch or dinner. The combination of mint, fava beans, and pine nuts creates a flavorful and aromatic pesto that is tossed with cooked pasta for a satisfying meal. This dish is a great way to enjoy the fresh flavors of spring and is sure to please everyone at the table.
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MINT PESTO PASTA
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions for al dente pasta.
- Meanwhile, put the mint leaves, pistachios and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. While still pulsing, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Remove the lid and use your hands to break up the wedge of pecorino into small chunks and add them to the food processor along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined but there are still small pieces of pecorino throughout the mixture. (You do not want to blend too much because it will cause the mint to brown.) Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Transfer the pesto to a large high-sided skillet. When the pasta is cooked to al dente, use a large slotted spoon to lift the pasta out of the pot and directly into the skillet. Stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the excess water from the pasta has evaporated and some of the pecorino has started to melt, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and butter if using. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Transfer to a large platter and garnish with the grated pecorino and whole mint leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.
PASTA WITH MINT PESTO AND FAVA
Pasta need not weigh you down; serve this light recipe as a starter, or top it with meatballs for a heartier meal.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Pasta and Grains
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Blanch fava beans until bright green and tender when pinched, about 2 minutes. Transfer beans with a slotted spoon to a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking. When cool, peel off the tough outer skins, squeezing the beans from the skins (discard skins).
- Pulse almonds with garlic in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add cheese and the oil; process to a coarse paste. Add mint, and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl, and top with a thin layer to preserve the color.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 2 tablespoons salt. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions (about 4 minutes for dried, 1 minute for fresh); reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta. In a warmed serving bowl, mix pesto with enough reserved cooking water, then drain pasta. In a warmed serving bowl, mix pesto with enough reserved cooking water to form a thin sauce. Add pasta and fava beans, and toss well to combine.
- To serve, divide pasta among four dishes, and top with meatballs; garnish with mint, and sprinkle with more cheese.
SPAGHETTI WITH MINT AND PARSLEY PESTO
Steps:
- Blend the ingredients, except the pasta, together in a blender or food processor.
- In a large pot, cook the spaghetti until al dente, drain and toss with the pesto.
PASTA WITH MINT AND PARMESAN
The pairing of pasta with mint and Parmesan is a good one. There is something about the lightly assaultive yet somehow sweet nature of mint that is unlike any other herb. Older cuisines use it occasionally, but it is rarely seen as a major player. In this dish, however, softened by butter and cheese, mint converts a basic but undeniably heavy combination into an easy yet complex pasta dish best described as refreshing. To the inevitable question, Can I use olive oil instead of butter? my answer is that you can, but you will completely change the nature of the dish; it won't be bad, but it won't be as good. Better, I think, to cut the butter back to two tablespoons. But because this sauce is cut with the pasta cooking water, the butter is spread nicely throughout, and it really isn't a huge amount per person.
Provided by Mark Bittman
Categories dinner, easy, quick, pastas, main course, side dish
Time 20m
Yield 3 to 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. When it boils, cook pasta until it is tender but not mushy. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
- Toss pasta in a warmed bowl with 2 or 3 tablespoons cooking liquid, the butter, mint and half the cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve, passing remaining Parmesan at the table.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 640, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 87 grams, Fat 21 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 25 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 401 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
FETTUCCINE WITH MERGUEZ AND MINT PESTO
For a pasta dish with sausage that's bold and rustic, easy to whip up for dinner but intriguing enough for entertaining (the recipe can be doubled), I opted for merguez, the North African lamb sausage. The trick is having a market that sells merguez, or order it in bulk online to keep a supply in the freezer. To the merguez, I added the flavors of Morocco: mint, garlic, lemon, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and a dusting of ground cumin. Thanks to some pasta water, these components all came together admirably to dress the pasta and suit the Bordeaux.
Provided by Florence Fabricant
Categories dinner, pastas, main course
Time 40m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Make the pesto: Turn on food processor, and drop garlic through feed tube to mince. Add pine nuts through the tube and grind. Add mint leaves and process until mixture is combined. Scrape down bowl, and with machine running, slowly drizzle in the 1/3 cup olive oil. Process until blended. Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with salt. Set aside.
- Make the pasta: Heat 3 quarts water in a large pot. As water comes to boil, heat oil in a large sauté pan, and sauté onion on medium-low until soft. Stir in cumin. Add merguez, increase heat to medium and cook, using two forks to break up the sausage and stirring all the while, until the meat is nubbly and no longer looks raw. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, olives and 2 tablespoons of the pesto. Reduce heat to low.
- Add fettuccine to boiling water and cook about 5 minutes, until nearly al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water, and set pasta aside. Add pasta water to the merguez mixture and let cook until liquid in the pan just coats the ingredients. Stir in lemon juice. Add fettuccine to sauté pan, tossing with other ingredients over low heat. Add salt to taste. Transfer to individual bowls or a serving dish and serve with remaining pesto alongside.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 491, UnsaturatedFat 33 grams, Carbohydrate 12 grams, Fat 46 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 668 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams
Tips:
- For the best flavor, use fresh mint and fava beans. If you can't find fresh fava beans, you can use frozen or canned beans. Just be sure to thaw or drain them before using.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can make the pesto by hand. Just chop the mint, garlic, and almonds very finely and then whisk them together with the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
- You can use any type of pasta for this recipe, but short, stubby pastas like penne or fusilli work best.
- If you want a vegetarian version of this recipe, you can omit the pancetta. You can also add other vegetables to the pasta, such as chopped zucchini, broccoli, or asparagus.
- This recipe is best served immediately, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just be sure to reheat it gently before serving.
Conclusion:
Pasta with mint pesto and fava beans is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a spring or summer meal. The fresh mint and fava beans give the pesto a bright, herbaceous flavor, and the pancetta adds a savory richness. This dish is sure to please everyone at your table.
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