Oh, heeeeeeey friends.

Just me, popping in between doing 18 loads of laundry (I tend to let it wait until I have no clean “undergarments”), moisturizing my parched (and still sunburned) skin, packing for a weekend away, and purging the fridge of miscellaneous jarred items, like pizza sauce from February.  I don’t even remember making pizza in February. 

Lloyd loves when I clean the fridge.

You see, I seem to pick the most inopportune times to clean the fridge. 

Like, right now, before I leave for the weekend and the items are just going to sit in the trash and… fester.  You can only imagine how wonderful our kitchen will smell in two days. 

Lucky for me, I’ll be in Maine.  My timing is impeccable.

I tend to go on a fridge cleaning sprees immediately after Lloyd has made a trip to the dump and a fresh plastic bag has been placed in the bin.  If we’re being honest (and we are) it’s all coincidence.  A really, awful, smelly coincidence.

You can only imagine my excitement when I saw this recipe and remembered that I had some green beans and lemons threatening expulsion from the crisper if I didn’t use them ASAP.  Even better, I had every single other ingredient on hand.  Much to Lloyd’s delight, I would be cleaning out the fridge, no trash involved. 

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

From Cooking Light

Serves 4

Print this recipe!

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.

It’s rare that I make a pasta dish as an entrée, and even more rare if the dish doesn’t include protein.  I made this for lunch one Sunday, and it hit the spot.  It didn’t need the chicken- the pasta shined on its own. 

The gemelli pasta is perfect because the flavors “stick” well to it.  The thin, tender green beans absorb the flavor nicely as well.  The champagne vinegar is mild, allowing the bright flavors of lemon and thyme to steal the spotlight.  I recommend using shaved parmesan instead of grated for the nice texture it adds.  The pistachios were the real show-stopper, adding another dimension of texture and an unexpected pop of flavor.  This dish manages to satisfy coming up big on taste, and low in calories. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to sprinkles some baking soda in the trash.  Maybe Lloyd will never know.