Ingredients:
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (penne or tagliateli)
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves (can swap in some arugula here if preferred)
- 1/4 cup roasted shelled pistachios
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a small pour for when making the pesto
- 1 1/2 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- A handful of arugulu
- Cooked chicken, if preferred
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded fresh pecorino Romano or parmesan regiono cheese
Directions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain.
- Combine basil, nuts, and garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Pour a bit of olive oil in while running the processor to help it mix.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add basil mixture, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pasta, tomato, and next 3 ingredients (through beans — if using chicken, add now); cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, tossing to combine. Remove from heat. Add arugula to pan, and toss to slightly wilt.
- Place about 1 1/4 cups pasta mixture in each of 4 bowls, and top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.
CALORIES 423 ; FAT 13.7g (sat 2.9g,mono 7.4g,poly 2.3g); CHOLESTEROL 7mg; CALCIUM 204mg; CARBOHYDRATE 60.2g; SODIUM 613mg; PROTEIN 16.4g; FIBER 7.2g; IRON 4.4mg