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Pesto Pasta With White Beans and Halloumi

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Published Sept. 15, 2021

Pesto Pasta With White Beans and Halloumi
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,431)
Comments
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This vegetarian weeknight dinner comes together in half an hour and is made super special with the addition of halloumi. It looks like a fluffy cloud when grated, and it gives the pasta just the right amount of salty tang. Be sure to use a very fine grater, like a Microplane, when you prepare the halloumi, as it will only add to the fluffy effect (which is what you’re after). This is a full meal in its own right, but you can also serve it alongside a big green salad.

Featured in: A Weeknight Pasta That Finds Freedom in the Familiar

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Pasta

    • ⅓cup/75 milliliters olive oil
    • 6garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
    • 1medium green serrano chile, stemmed and halved lengthwise
    • 1tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
    • 2(15.5-ounce/400-gram) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 
    • 3cups (about 9 ounces/250 grams) short, twirled pasta, preferably gemelli or trofie pasta
    • 3cups/700 milliliters chicken or vegetable stock 
    • Kosher salt and black pepper
    • ¼cup/60 milliliters lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
    • 1block halloumi (around 7 ounces/200 grams), very finely grated

    For the Arugula (rocket) Pesto

    • Heaping ⅓ cup/50 grams pine nuts, well toasted
    • 2small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
    • 3lightly packed cups (about 2 ounces/60 grams) arugula (rocket), roughly chopped
    • ½cup/20 grams roughly chopped parsley (leaves and tender stems only)
    • ⅓cup/90 milliliters olive oil, plus more as needed
    • Kosher salt and black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1014 calories; 52 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 31 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 109 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 1312 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the pasta: Add the oil to a large, lidded sauté pan, and then place it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and chile, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic is nicely golden. Stir in the thyme, beans, pasta, stock, 2 teaspoons salt and plenty of pepper, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, with the lid off, for about 5 to 10 minutes. This will help it absorb more of the liquid.

  2. Step 2

    As the pasta cooks, make the pesto: To a food processor, add the nuts, garlic, arugula (rocket), parsley, half the oil, ½ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Pulse a few times, scraping down the sides and pulsing again until you have a coarse paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the remaining olive oil, adding a touch extra if needed to loosen the pesto.

  3. Step 3

    When ready to serve, stir the lemon juice and half the pesto into the pasta (discard the chile, if you wish) and transfer to a large serving bowl or platter with a lip. Sprinkle over about half the halloumi, and serve with the extra halloumi and pesto to eat alongside.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,431 user ratings
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Comments

RG

I cannot eat walnuts, and pine nuts are expensive. I have made pesto with sunflower seeds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds, but the current favorite is hemp seeds. They are soft and oily, like pine nuts.

David

This made 160 grams of pesto.

Robin

can anyone tell me how much pesto this makes? I have my own homemade pesto, and would prefer to use that rather than make some new, but I really can't figure out how to convert those measurements to finished pesto.

Tim

I've made this recipe countless times. It's one of those recipes that tastes great even if you vary things slightly.

Heidi

No salt during cooking!

Ann S.

Our family loves this recipe so much. Our addition is a little fresh lemon right before serving and cubed fried tofu for extra protein. The pesto is my husband favorite go to pesto now. It stay’s a nice bright green in the fridge if you have leftovers.

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