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Creamy Basil Feta Pasta

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Summer to me is lots of fresh herbs. Mint, basil, rosemary, parsley, all of the good things. No matter where. Whether it is in salads, as a garnish, on toast, in drinks, in pesto or in pasta. It is just a sign and part of summer. So fresh, so tasty. But, as good as pesto is, here we are gonna switch things up a little bit and make an extremely easy, 10 minute pasta dish! No, that’s not a typo, it actually only takes 10 minutes (maybe 15 max)!

What does summer mean to you? Laying at the beach, toasting barbecues and summer parties, going for a swim? To me it is lots of sun, good times and fresh food! Definitely! That is why I love herbs so much! I love how they add so much freshness to every single dish you add it in. Also they just add such a nice flavour!

Are herbs healthy?

Definitely! It honestly is very surprising to some! In most kitchens you will find some sort of herbs. Some prefer them in a fresh form to add them to dishes or as a garnish and some have them in their dried form. I personally prefer the dried form for seasoning because they are more intense in flavour but I always have fresh herbs on hand for garnish. Also they make pretty much everything look nice.

Back to the point. Herbs actually are super healthy. Their are extremely high in vitamins, minerals but also fibre. Some even have a decent amount of protein. The great thing about them is that it is so easy to add them to anything to give all of your meals an extra nutrient boost.

How to add more herbs to your diet

This part I believe is really easy. One of my favourite ways is to add it into salads. Like adding a little bit of mint and basil to your salad not only makes a great flavour but also adds a bunch of vitamins. Other ways are to stir is into sauces like into tomato sauce, into stir fries, here cilantro would work amazing, when marinating something or just make pesto out of it. All of these ways are super easy.

Is this sauce like pesto?

No, but also yes. So it is kind of similar but also different. What is pretty much the same is the strong basil flavour. But we are not using parmesan cheese and pine nuts and loads of olive oil. So basil as a base is same. Instead of parmesan cheese we are using feta. If you do not know, feta is a cheese made out of sheep’s milk. It originated in Greece and still is very popular these. It is a firm cheese but has a rather „light“ and fresh taste. So as said, it is a firm cheese but when you blend it up it becomes very creamy.

We still, also use a little bit of olive oil to add some flavour but not as much as in pesto. No nuts in here, which pesto does have. What is „new“ here, which is not usual in pesto is that we add some greek yoghurt. The greek yoghurt adds some creaminess and makes it really good.

How to make the sauce & substitutes

Well, that’s the easiest thing ever. Blend it all up, that’s it. First only the basil, which allows it to become very fine and smooth. Then we add the feta and lastly, some salt, olive oil and greek yoghurt. Also reserve some water from the boiling pasta and add it again when combining the pasta with the sauce. This really is key to making a super creamy sauce and to allow it to combine it well.

If you do not do feta, you can use cream cheese instead. I would recommend using one from goat though, because I believe that the flavour just goes in better harmony with the basil but regular one works too. If you do not have greek yoghurt on hand, you can use some regular yoghurt or half the amount and substitute it for cream cheese.

When to have it & meal prep

I LOVE this as a quick and easy lunch or dinner. It is perfect for a large number of people because it is super easy to make and very versatile. If you want, you can also add some grilled chicken or prawns on top, which also is really tasty.

I would not recommend it for meal prep just because I personally do not like reheated pasta and it only takes very little time anyway. If you do not mind reheated pasta, you can totally meal prep it. Or you just meal prep the sauce, this works really well.

I hope that you like this recipe and enjoy it all throughout summer !

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Creamy Basil Feta Pasta

A great summer pasta. Not like your pesto but much better. And easier. 10 minutes, 6 ingredients. Super good.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 732 kcal

What you will need

  • 500 g spaghetti
  • 300 g feta
  • 100 g basil about 3-4 large handful
  • 100 g greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • some dried tomatoes

How to

  1. Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Before draining the pasta reserve one cup (about 200ml) of the pasta water.

  2. While the pasta is cooking add the basil to a food processor, until it is very finely chopped. Then add the feta and blend again until a creamy consitency is reached. Last add the olive oil, greek yoghurt and a pinch of salt. Add at least half of the reserved pasta water and blend again.

  3. After draining the pasta add it back to the pot along with the sauce. If it still is too thick and does not combine well, add some more pasta water.

  4. Divide onto the plates and garnish with extra feta, dried tomatoes and fresh basil.

    Enjoy!

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Green Beans with Almond Bread Crumbs

by 1 Kommentar

It’s Thanksgiving next week and Christmas very soon! Although here in Austria we do not celebrate thanksgiving, I know that a lot of people around the world do! November and December are the months for family come-togethers and dinner party’s with friends. I don’t think that in any other month there are that many big meals. 

For us, at Christmas we always make a huge Roastbeef with some potatoes and a salad but this year, for sure, I am going to change the usual game and make these beans instead of the salad! They are so good! I made them once when friends were over for dinner and they immediately asked for the recipe. 

Since it always is difficult to cook for so many people and still chat with them while being a host, I have made a super quick and simple side dish for you. I really love to make this whenever someone is over at my house because it is something almost every one likes, plus it is super simple to make. Also, you can make it vegan, which is perfect for anyone who has a dietary restriction. It is a side that goes with really any dish. 

This green bean recipe works great with meaty dishes such as a Roastbeef, a meatloaf, turkey, a roasted chicken or pork. If you add a little twist to it, such as adding some lemon zest, it already is completely different and works perfectly with some fish or seafood. Also if you make a vegetarian or vegan pie, this is a great and fresh addition! If you already have a carby and filling side, this is a great addition in place of the boring green salad to get some more veggies. 

It is as quick as preparing a salad and really good! Just boiling the beans, tossing them in olive oil. Roasting the breadcrumbs and chopped almonds in some butter or olive oil and assemble. If you are vegan, use oil, if you are gluten free, go for only nuts or some gluten free breadcrumbs. If you do not like almonds, switch them out for any other nuts (but believe me, almonds work really good in here)! It is super versatile.

What I also really like about this recipe is that if you do not eat all of it you can use it for lunch next day or you can even meal prep it! Store the almond breadcrumbs in a separate container and it will last in the fridge for a few days! When I have this for lunch, I like to pair it with some boiled eggs as whole-wheat bread or some Quinoa to make it more filling. This is a really delicious and balanced meal then, as you have a lot of vitamins from the beans and eggs, a healthy amount of protein from the eggs, healthy fats from the almonds and oil, and some whole grain carbs from the bread or the Quinoa. 

So stop looking for a side dish recipe for thanksgiving or Christmas! Make these healthy and flavorful cream beans with almond bread crumbs to make everyone happy! And a little tip: try it before the big event to convince yourself that it is REALLY good! So if you do like it, it would mean a lot to me if you could leave a rating and/ or a comment here on the blogpost. Also if you decide to try it out be sure to tag me on Instagram with @uneptcuisiniere or #unepetitecuisiniere !

Enjoy!

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Green Beans with Almond Breadcrumbs (Vegan)

This is a great side dish for Christmas Eve or Thanksgiving, or litteraly any occasion. It is super versatile and incredibly delicious.

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Side Dish
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 5 Minuten
Total Time 10 Minuten
Servings 4 people
Calories 166 kcal

What you will need

That is what you will need:

  • 400 g green beans
  • 40 g breadcrumbs preferably whole wheat
  • 20 g almonds
  • 20 g Butter if wanting it vegan, use Olive Oil or vegan Butter instead
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • optional some lemon zest see recipe notes

How to

That is how it works:

  1. Bring a large pot with water to a boil. Generously salt. Cut of the ends of the green beans, and if they are very long cut them in half too. Add them to the boiling water and let them cook for about 5-7 minutes until ready. You will be able to notice that once you can stab through with a fork easily.

  2. In the meantime chop up the almonds into small chuncks. Heat up the butter in a small pan. Once hot add in, both the breadcrumbs, and the almonds and fry them for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

  3. Once the beans are done, rinse them and shock them with cold water. This helps to preserve the colour and the vitamins. Toss them in some Olive Oil and add them onto a pretty serving plate. Add the breadcrumbs on top and serve!

    Enjoy!

Notes

Feel free to add some lemon or orange zest to give it some freshness. This addition would make the dish a perfect match to fish and seafood! 

If you do not like almonds, you can use any other nut, but almonds work really great in here!

You can also use gluten free breadcrumbs.