Pasta with Beans, Leek and Lemon Balm

Ingredients

• 250 g fresh green thick beans
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 50 ml olive oil
• Salt
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 thin stalks leek
• 2 tbsp butter
• 400 g fusilli (spiral pasta)
• Lemon balm
• 1 piece thin lemon zest

Instructions

1. 1.

   Blanch beans in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, drain and set aside. Whisk lemon juice with salt, pepper and olive oil and pour over the beans, letting it sit briefly.

2. 2.

   Wash and trim leek; cut white and light green parts into ~1 cm rings. Heat butter in a wide pot, add leek, sauté briefly, season with salt and pepper, add ½ cup water, cover and steam for about 5 minutes.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to package instructions until al dente.

4. 4.

   Slice lemon zest into fine strips. Chop lemon balm.

5. 5.

   Drain pasta and combine with beans and their dressing, leek and lemon balm; plate and garnish with lemon zest strips before serving.