Gemelli Salad with Green Beans, Pistachios, and Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette

6:45 PM melissokomos.com 0 Comments

Haricots verts are thin, tender green beans. If you can't find them, use trimmed regular green beans, but add them to the pasta after 8 minutes of cooking since they'll take longer to cook. You can make the salad ahead, but dress it just before serving so the beans don't turn drab.

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked gemelli (short twisted tube pasta)
1 cup (1 1/2-inch) cut haricots verts (about 4 ounces)$
1/2 cup chopped shelled pistachios $
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind, divided $
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil $
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper $
1 ounce shaved fresh Parmesan cheese (about 1/3 cup) $

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add haricots verts during the final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse pasta mixture under cold water; drain well.
2. Place the pasta mixture, pistachios, 1 tablespoon thyme, and 1 tablespoon lemon rind in a large bowl; toss gently to combine.
3. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon thyme, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon rind, shallots, Champagne or white wine vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add salt and black pepper; stir with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture, and toss gently to coat. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.