This easy and delicious Pistachio Pesto Pasta Salad by Jamie Oliver is a light yet hearty meal packed with vibrant flavors. It’s quick to prepare, made with creamy pesto, crispy beans, and fresh veggies. Perfect for a nutritious lunch or dinner, and flexible with common ingredients you may already have!
Ingredients Needed
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 bunch (30g / 1 oz) of fresh basil
- 20g (¾ oz) shelled unsalted pistachios
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 20g (¾ oz) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese
- 1 lemon
- 150g (5.3 oz) farfalle or other dried pasta
- 1 x 400g (14 oz) tin of butter beans
- Olive oil (for cooking)
- 100g (3.5 oz) ripe cherry tomatoes
- 120g (4.2 oz) fine green beans
- 100g (3.5 oz) baby spinach
How To Make Pistachio Pesto Pasta Salad
- Make the pesto: Peel the garlic and place half into a pestle and mortar. Pick in the basil leaves (saving some for garnish), then bash into a paste. Add the pistachios and bash again until fairly fine. Mix in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, most of the grated Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon juice, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust the lemon juice if needed.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Prepare the beans and veggies: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Drain and rinse the butter beans, then add them to the dry pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes until they are lightly golden and starting to pop. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, toss gently, and add the remaining garlic (finely chopped). Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is lightly golden. Add halved cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Blanch the green beans: Add the green beans to the pasta water for the last 4 minutes of cooking, and stir in the spinach for the last 30 seconds.
- Combine: Drain the pasta and veggies, reserving a mugful of cooking water. Return them to the pan, stir in the pesto, and loosen with a little cooking water if needed. Add the crispy beans and tomatoes, then gently toss everything together.
- Serve: Garnish with reserved basil leaves, drizzle with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and finish with a fine grating of the remaining Parmesan. Enjoy immediately, or allow to cool for a chilled pasta salad.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the pesto taste test: Adjust the lemon juice and seasoning to your liking before mixing it into the pasta to get the perfect balance of flavors.
- Toast the pistachios: Lightly toast the pistachios in a dry pan for a minute or two to bring out their flavor and make your pesto even more aromatic.
- Reserve pasta water: Always save a mugful of pasta cooking water before draining. It helps loosen the pesto and gives the sauce a silky texture.
- Crisp the beans properly: Let the butter beans cook until they are golden and popping for a great crunch in every bite.
How To Store Leftovers?
Let the leftover pasta salad cool to room temperature before storing. Place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1 cup or 200g)
- Calories: 624
- Total Fat: 23.8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Total Carbohydrate: 79.6g
- Dietary Fiber: 10.7g
- Sugars: 7.7g
- Protein: 26.8g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Simple Courgette Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Squash And Spinach Pasta Rotolo
- Jamie Oliver Summer Tagliatelle Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Easy Carbonara Pasta Recipe
Jamie Oliver Pistachio Pesto Pasta Salad
Description
This easy and delicious Pistachio Pesto Pasta Salad by Jamie Oliver is a light yet hearty meal packed with vibrant flavors. It’s quick to prepare, made with creamy pesto, crispy beans, and fresh veggies. Perfect for a nutritious lunch or dinner, and flexible with common ingredients you may already have!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the pesto: Peel the garlic and place half into a pestle and mortar. Pick in the basil leaves (saving some for garnish), then bash into a paste. Add the pistachios and bash again until fairly fine. Mix in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, most of the grated Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon juice, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust the lemon juice if needed.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Prepare the beans and veggies: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Drain and rinse the butter beans, then add them to the dry pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes until they are lightly golden and starting to pop. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, toss gently, and add the remaining garlic (finely chopped). Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is lightly golden. Add halved cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Blanch the green beans: Add the green beans to the pasta water for the last 4 minutes of cooking, and stir in the spinach for the last 30 seconds.
- Combine: Drain the pasta and veggies, reserving a mugful of cooking water. Return them to the pan, stir in the pesto, and loosen with a little cooking water if needed. Add the crispy beans and tomatoes, then gently toss everything together.
- Serve: Garnish with reserved basil leaves, drizzle with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and finish with a fine grating of the remaining Parmesan. Enjoy immediately, or allow to cool for a chilled pasta salad.
Notes
- Don’t skip the pesto taste test: Adjust the lemon juice and seasoning to your liking before mixing it into the pasta to get the perfect balance of flavors.
- Toast the pistachios: Lightly toast the pistachios in a dry pan for a minute or two to bring out their flavor and make your pesto even more aromatic.
- Reserve pasta water: Always save a mugful of pasta cooking water before draining. It helps loosen the pesto and gives the sauce a silky texture.
- Crisp the beans properly: Let the butter beans cook until they are golden and popping for a great crunch in every bite.
Jamie Oliver Pistachio Pesto Pasta Salad