1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups orecchiette pasta (or other small pasta)
6 cups water
1/3 cup pesto
2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
salt to taste
Put the water on to boil. Once it's boiling, add a little salt and the pasta. Cook for 10+ minutes, or until the pasta is no longer crunchy but still has a 'bite'.
If using the pine nuts, heat a dry pot over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, stirring constantly, until they start to brown. Remove them immediately to a small bowl. Rinse out the pot and return it to heat. Once it's dry, add the olive oil and garlic. Stir until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the green beans, broccoli and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until the veggies are dark green. Add 1 Tbsp pesto, 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Cover until pasta is done.
Once the pasta's ready, drain it in a colander. Immediately add it to the broccoli-green bean mixture, along with the pine nuts, pesto and mustard. Stir until well coated. Taste, and adjust salt to your liking. Serve at once!
Ingredient Notes: We got our orecchiette at the IngerDahl's. The mustard we use is the Iowa Country Dill Mustard from the downtown farmer's market. Pine nuts are fairly cheap at CostCo.
