CHIMICHURRI GEMELLI
New applications inspire new recipes.
I recently got sent a new CuisinArt Elemental 8-cup Food Processor from one of my Instagram followers and words cannot express how happy I am about it!!! I never knew how much I relied on a food processor until mine broke. I inherited a super vintage Braun food processor from my mom when I moved out over 6 years ago and used it often. I was crushed when the lid broke and since it was from the 80s, they no longer made that model anymore. I was completely over the moon when my package from Amazon arrived in the mail at my office. The only thing I could think about was what should I make!?
Naturally, I was gearing towards some kind of herb sauce. I make pesto and pistous too often in my house but since I had some old parsley and cilantro wilting by the day in my fridge, it had to be something that featured those herbs prominently. Chimichurri - duh! I typically have that on steaks but since this was intending to be part of my meal prep, it was going to be vegan....so why not toss that sauce on pasta?! And thus, my gemelli with chimichurri and green beans recipe was born.
Every Sunday, I host a live cooking demo on my Instagram so I needed something quick and easy and under an hour. This recipe can be done in about 20 minutes. Boil your pasta, make your sauce, blanch your green beans and voila! I was saying in my video that I typically tend to bulk up my pastas with other vegetables (roasted or blanched), a raw, leafy green of some sort, or any additional herbs. It is completely up to you on how you want to differentiate your pasta. I always tend to try to sneak in a few extra nutrients if I can!
If pasta isn't your thing, this bright chimichurri also goes well on a stick, can double up as a dip, or even diluted with extra oil and used as an herb oil to top on soups, stews, or salads. So completely versatile and refreshing - perfect for the warm weather we've been having lately!
One last thing to note was that I made this recipe exclusively using the herb stems. You are more than welcome to use the leafy tops from both the cilantro and parsley - I had already used that up in a different recipe. Never throw away your herb stems - remember that there is SO much flavour packed in those areas of the plant.
GEMELLI WITH CHIMICHURRI AND GREEN BEANS - serves 4
1 (500g) bag of gemelli pasta, dried
1 lb green beans, halved, ends trimmed
1 bunch cilantro, stems only, rinsed
1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley, stems only rinsed
1/2 shallot, roughy chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp red wine vinegar*
1/2 lemon, juice only, seeds removed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt + pepper, to taste
Bring a large pot of water with a heavy hand of salt to a boil. Blanch the green beans for 20 seconds and toss into an ice bath. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to packaged directions. Rinse and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, make the chimichurri with the rest of the ingredients. Add all of ingredients to your food processor and puree until smooth. Feel free to add more olive oil if you prefer it smooth and more liquid.
Toss the pasta, green beans and chimichurri together and serve.
*If you don't have red wine vinegar mix 1 part red wine with water.