Penne With Green Beans & Cashew Butter

Submitted by Daphney

"Super easy and great flavor. The recipe comes from "Quick From Scratch Pasta Cookbook," Food & Wine Books, American Express Publishing."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1⁄2 - 3⁄4 cup roasted cashews
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/3 pounds in all)
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt (use less if cashews are salted)
• 3⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3⁄4 lb penne pasta
• 1⁄2 lb fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths

directions

1. Combine the cashews and butter in a food processor.
2. Pulse to a smooth paste.
3. Or finely chop the cashews and combine them with the butter.
4. In a medium non-stick frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat.
5. Season the chicken breasts with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
6. Cook until browned and just done.
7. Time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
8. Remove the chicken from the pan and let cool for 5 minutes.
9. Cut into small pieces.
10. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until just done, about 13 minutes.
11. Add the beans during the last five minutes of cooking.
12. Drain the pasta and beans and toss with the cashew butter, chicken and the remaining salt and pepper.

Reviews

[sugarpea]

Oh mommy, this was good and quite a special treat as we don't ususally eat that much butter. This was incredibly delicious and did the season's first green beans proud. I can, next time, grind cashews into cashew butter (without using any actual butter) at the grocery store. I know it can also be purchased jarred just as peanut butter is. Twenty-seven stars.