Green Beans with Anchovy Parmesan Dressing

This incredibly zesty dressing is perfect for green beans as well as lots of other vegetables. These measurements will yield about twice as much as you’ll need for one meal so you’ll have a chance to try it on something else this week.

Remove the ends of your beans and cut to the desired length before steaming or blanching for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately run them under some cold water until cool all the way through.

Drain and finely chop a full tin of anchovies, or a couple teaspoons of anchovy paste, then stir together with two tablespoons of Dijon mustard and a handful of chopped parsley. Whisk in a cup of extra virgin olive oil followed by a cup of freshly grated parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Toss with your green beans well before serving.

Penne with Swiss Chard Pancetta and Ricotta

Remove the leaves from the stems and coarsely chop a bunch of Swiss Chard, place in a shallow pot of simmering water for a couple of minutes and drain well. In a deep pan add a splash of olive oil and sauté a quarter pound of chopped pancetta or bacon until nearly crisp then set aside.

In the same pan sauté some minced garlic and shallot for a minute then stir in your cooked and drained penne along with a quarter cup of the reserved pasta water. Turn off the heat and toss evenly to coat along with a quarter cup of parmesan, a cup of ricotta, the drained chard, and salt and pepper to taste. Chili flakes are always a good option to spice things up.

Tomatillo Salsa

I had never made this spicy green salsa before but after my daughter showed me how easy it was I already can’t wait to make it again. If you don’t have a grill you could roast the tomatillos and garlic in the oven but it wouldn’t have the smoky charred flavor that made it so incredibly tasty…so grill if you can.

Husk a pound of tomatillos and grill until lightly charred along with a small peeled and halved onion, a jalapeno pepper, and two to three peeled garlic cloves. Let cool, remove the pepper stem and combine everything in a blender or food processor with a splash of olive oil, the juice from half a lime, a pinch of cumin, a small handful of cilantro, and salt to taste. You can make it smooth or chunky depending on how long you blend it, or add a half an avocado for an even creamier texture.