Bitsy's Kitchen. Penne with Green Beans and Herbs

Penne with Green Beans and Herbs
1 1/2 cups penne 1 pound green beans, cut into 1 1/2-2" lengths 4 tsp. olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley	1/4 cup chopped basil 1/2 tsp. minced thyme 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the penne 7 minutes; add the beans and cook until the penne is tender, 5-7 minutes longer. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, and keep warm.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Stir in the penne and cooking liquid;* cook, stirring as needed, until the liquid is slightly reduced. Remove from the heat; stir in the parsley, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the cheese; toss to combine.

Makes 4 servings

SERVING PROVIDES: 2 Breads, 1 Fruit/Vegetable, 1 Fat

PER SERVING: 253 Calories, 7 g Total Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat, 4 mg Cholesterol, 393 mg Sodium, 39 g Total Carbohydrate, 5 g Dietary Fiber, 10 g Protein, 141 mg Calcium

*The starches in the pasta cooking water help to bind the herbs to the pasta, so you don't need to add oil to the dish.