Pesto penne pasta with veggies and beans

Ingredients :
For 1 medium size aluminum tray serving 3 cups of whole wheat dry pasta.

Olive oil
Sun dried tomatoes or small cherry tomatoes
Carrots thinly sliced
Green beans thinly sliced or can of French cut green beans
1/2 cup green peas or Lima beans
1 and 1/2 cup soaked dark red kidney beans
Zucchini 1
Broccoli heads
Red chilli flex
Garlic cloves 4
Cashew nuts/toasted pine nuts
Parmesan cheese
Mozerella cheese
Basil leaves
Dry oregano leaves
onions 1 medium
Fresh parsley
Salt
Black pepper
Green chillies

Steps:
1. Boil soaked dark red kidney beans in pressure cooker, 3 whistles should be enough.

2. Toast pine nuts/ cashews. Grind nuts, basil leaves, olive oil, mozerella cheese together to make green pesto sauce.

3. Blanch carrots, green beans, peas/lime beans, broccoli.

4. Boil penn pasta as per package instructions. Add salt to pasta boiling water.

5. Drain pasta ( you can also use shell pasta/bow tie pasta. These varieties look very pretty and make falourful dish compared to penne)and spread it in aluminum tray.

6. Heat olive oil in a pan and heat it. Add chopped garlic . Once garlic is fragrant add thinly sliced red onion ,cubed zucchini and cook till tender. You can also add sliced green or chillies or broken red chillies at this stage if you want extra heat.

7. Spread above mixture,blanched veggies, boiled beans, sun dried tomatoes( I squeeze out oil if they are oil packed) on top of pasta.

8. Add pesto sauce , salt, pepper, dried oregano leaves, red chilli flex, crumbled mozerella cheese. > Drizzle with olive oil and toss gently

9. Season with cilantro and Parmesan cheese.

This colorful dish is a good starter/ side dish for parties, pot lucks Also first thing that gone from table :)

Hope you have fun making it and eating it... - By Swapna G