Pesto Pine Nut and Cannellini Penne Pasta

We can all benefit from some vegetarian meals now and then. Pasta is a dependable base for creating a hearty bowl of plant based ingredients. From there, adding in a range of foods with different colours, flavours and textures builds a dish that even those on the more carnivorous side can enjoy. Some legumes like mildly flavoured cannellini beans are sturdy and dense, some nuts like freshly toasted pine nuts add a rich, buttery texture and a range of vegetables add crispness and variety. Italian peasant food or cucina povera (poor cooking) features real whole food ingredients, like beans which cost much less than meat and are widely accessible; ultimately it is about using up what is already around in the home. During times of war and unprosperous years peasant food was a necessity, but now in our modern excess it is a somewhat romantic notion younger cooks have defined and adopted for simple, rustic meals. Plus, the more simple, whole food plants in our diet the more fiber, vitamins and minerals we are consuming.Penne is a good pasta for pesto because all the little bits of sauce get trapped in the grooves, ensuring that it is well distributed.Pesto is an oil based sauce favoured with basil, garlic, pine nuts and sharp cheese like parmesan. It is a great staple to keep on hand for fast pasta dinners or to marinate grilled meats and vegetables or spread on sandwiches. There are usually at least a couple varieties in every grocery store that range in ingredients and quality. The best ones, based both on taste and nutrition, use olive oil and pine nuts and don’t have any suspiciously long and artificial ingredients. Some use soybean or other vegetable oils to keep production costs lower, they are usually not as good in flavour and their fat profile is less desirable. Using cashews or almonds is another cost saver sometimes employed and it doesn’t make too much difference but pine nuts have a rich, unique flavour, making them the best option if available. These canned and bottled ingredients cut down on prep time and add some extra nutrients, flavour and bulk. Kalamata olives add some saltiness and marinated artichoke hearts add some butteriness. Cannellini beans are pretty subtle in flavour so they blend in well and don’t add too much of a bean taste.
Pine nuts are so small that they can barely be seen when combined with all the other ingredients but they are impossible not to taste. When they are lightly toasted their flavour is amplified and their warm, rich nutty flavour and smooth texture really add a lot to the dish. Pine nuts grow under the scales on pine cones and take around 3 years to grow. Consequently they are one of, if not the most expensive nuts, but a little goes a long way. To get the best out of them, purchase them where there is a high turnover to ensure you are getting the freshest possible, in many grocers this is in the bulk section. Once you have them at home store them in the fridge to keep their oils fresh- this prevents them from drying out or losing flavour. Since they are tiny they can burn quickly so it is best to toast them over low heat for 10 minutes or more and keep a close eye on them because they burn quickly.I used a mini rainbow of bell peppers because that was all I had left for vegetables but some of my other favourites to pair with pasta and pesto sauce are mushrooms, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Sautéing them in a large pan with a bit of water keeps them light and crisp but softens them enough to blend with the pasta.