Pistachio Pesto Penne Recipe

Directions:

1. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot.
2. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente (tender yet firm). Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and place in a large warm bowl.
3. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil.
4. Steam the green beans until just tender (about 5 to 7 minutes).
5. Transfer the cooked green beans to the bowl with the pasta.
6. Combine the nuts, garlic, crushed red pepper, olive oil and basil in a food processor or blender.
7. Blend until a coarse paste forms.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Add the pesto to the bowl and toss with the pasta and green beans to mix thoroughly.
10. Add enough pasta cooking water as you do this to keep the pasta from being too dry (I typically end up using about 1/2 cup).
11. Mix in the tomatoes and serve.
12. **Alternatively, if you are to be serving the pasta later as a cold dish, cool the pasta and green beans completely first before adding the pesto.**