pesto pasta    with    white beans    and    halloumi
            
  ingredients

                
             for the     pasta:
                        
                         1/3 cup     olive oil
                        
                         6     garlic cloves,     peeled and thinly sliced
                        
                         1 medium     green serrano chile,     stemmed and halved lengthwise
                        
                         1 tablespoon     fresh thyme leaves,     chopped
                        
                         2 15.5-oz cans     cannellini beans,     drained and rinsed
                        
                         3 cups short, twirled     pasta,     preferably gemelli or trofie pasta
                        
                         3 cups     vegetable stock
                        
                         kosher salt     and     black pepper
                        
                         1/4 cup     lemon juice     (from 2 lemons)
                        
                         1 block     halloumi,     very finely grated
                
             for the     arugula (rocket) pesto:
                        
                         heaping 1/3 cup     pine nuts,     well toasted
                        
                         2 small     garlic cloves,     roughly chopped
                        
                         3 lightly packed cups     arugula (rocket),     roughly chopped
                        
                         1/2 cup roughly chopped     parsley     (leaves and tender stems only)
                        
                         1/3 cup     olive oil,     plus more as needed
                        
                         kosher salt     and     black pepper
                
  steps
                        
                         prepare the     pasta:     add the     oil     to a large, lidded sauté pan, and then place it over medium-high heat. 
                         once hot, add the     garlic     and     chile,     and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the     garlic    
                         is nicely golden. stir in the     thyme,     beans,     pasta,     stock,     2 teaspoons     salt     and plenty of
                              pepper,     and bring to a simmer. turn the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. remove from the heat
                         and let sit, with the lid off, for about 5 to 10 minutes. this will help it absorb more of the liquid.
                        
                         as the     pasta     cooks, make the     pesto:     to a food processor, add the     nuts,     garlic,
                              arugula (rocket),     parsley,     half the     oil,     1/2 teaspoon     salt     and a good grind of     pepper.     
                         pulse a few times, scraping down the sides and pulsing again until you have a coarse paste. transfer to a small bowl
                         and stir in the remaining     olive oil,     adding a touch extra if needed to loosen the     pesto.
                       
                         when ready to serve, stir the     lemon juice     and half the     pesto     into the     pasta     (discard the
                              chile,     if you wish) and transfer to a large serving bowl or platter with a lip. sprinkle over about half the
                              halloumi,     and serve with the extra     halloumi     and     pesto     to eat alongside.
                        
                         bask in the deliciousness.