The Active Family

This is one of my favorite dishes to make in the summer. I use fresh tomatoes, basil from my garden, and the best olive oil I can get.

This recipe takes a few minutes to prep, but it all falls in line easily, and it is a good item if you have to transport it.

Ingredients:

1 lb whole grain pasta, like penne
1 bag or a few large handfuls fresh green beans, snapped
1 carton cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
fresh basil torn in pieces
sea salt
2 minced garlic cloves, fine
1/2 lb baby red potatoes, cubed

First, get a LARGE pot of water boiling. You are going to want to cook the potatoes first, but not too long. You want them to still be firm, not mushy. It won’t take long!
After the potatoes are done,  remove them from the water and bring to boil again. Add the pasta and set for a couple minutes under the recommended cooking time. Again, you want firm pasta, not mush.
While the pasta is cooking, toss the potatoes with the minced garlic. the hot potatoes will soften the garlic enough so it isn’t too strong. You can also cut the tomatoes in half at this point.
A few minutes before the pasta is ready, go ahead and toss in the green beans. You want to time it so they are only in the water for about a minute. Any longer and you will lose the crunch!
Once the pasta and greenbeans are done, get a big ol’ bowl and toss ALL the ingredients together. I add a couple of drizzles of Olive Oil at a time, and toss. Add just enough to flavor and moisten, not saturate. Same goes with the salt, a little goes a long way.
That’s it! This salad tastes great at room temp, or slightly on the warm side.  If you want to  make it a bit more special, toss in some cooked shrimp.

Enjoy!