Basil and Green Bean Penne

So...here's my second farmer's market recipe post! (Although, a few of the ingredients came from my raised bed, and they were delicious) We were really tired today, so something quick and easy like pasta sounded perfect. I had some meatballs still in our freezer that we threw in, cause my kids love 'em. You could substitute with more veg, pancetta, bacon, chicken...just make sure the proportion is correct. You don't want your dish overflowing with meat. I usually eyeball it so that in relation to the amount of pasta I've used, there is about 1/4-1/3 meat. That way there is enough for each bite, but not sooooo much that you wish there was more pasta. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1/4-1/2 lb green beans (ours were haricot verts from our garden)

2 small sweet onions, diced

1 clove garlic, diced

2-3 fresh basil leaves, shredded

1 pkg. mini penne

10-12 small meatballs

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

-(if using meatballs) preheat oven to 350 degrees F, cooking for 15 minutes

-cook pasta according to package directions, and drain while making the rest of the dish

-blanch the green beans for 4-5 minutes, drain and set aside until ready to use

-heat 1-2 Tbsps olive oil in a large skillet

-add the onions and garlic, and sautée until soften and just beginning to turn golden brown

-season with a dash of salt

-add the shredded basil leaves to the oil, and sautée for a few minutes more. This allows some of the basil flavor to diffuse into the oil. 

-add the blanched beans, sautée 4-5 minutes more, until the beans begin to brown just slightly. You want them to still have some of their fresh from the garden crunch, so don't overdo it. 

-stir in the pasta, making sure to mix well with all the yummy onions and garlic. Add a tsp or so more olive oil ONLY if the pasta appears to be too dry still after you've mixed it thoroughly

-Mix in the meatballs

-season with salt and pepper to taste

-Enjoy!!