Lemon-Basil Pasta

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Protein-packed cannellini beans, lemon zest, and heady fresh basil fill this made-in-minutes pasta dish with fresh summer flavors. To store extra basil, snip a quarter-inch from its stems, stand it in a glass filled with about an inch of water, cover loosely with a plastic bag, and refrigerate.

Lemon-Basil Pasta
Photo: Kate Mathis
Total Time:
25 mins
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 10 ounce dried linguine or desired pasta

  • 1 19 ounce can white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained

  • ½ of a lemon

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

Directions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding beans for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Remove 1/2 cup of the cooking liquids; set aside. Drain pasta and beans; cover to keep warm.

  2. Meanwhile, finely shred peel from the lemon half (about 2 teaspoons). In a small skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add lemon peel; cook and stir 1 minute, or until lightly golden.

  3. In a food processor combine cooked lemon peel, basil, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice from the lemon half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Add reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency, processing mixture after every addition.

  4. To serve, toss hot cooked pasta mixture with lemon-basil mixture. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

452 Calories
10g Fat
75g Carbs
18g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 452
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 648mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 75g 27%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 12.4mg 62%
Calcium 101mg 8%
Iron 4.7mg 26%
Potassium 211mg 4%
Folate, total 177.4mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.1mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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