Pasta with Beans, Leeks and Lemon Balm

Cook beans in salted boiling water, about 3 minutes. Rinse and drain. Mix lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste and olive oil. Pour mixture over beans and let stand.

Rinse, trim and cut the white and light green parts of leeks crosswise into 1 cm (approximately 1/2 inch) wide rings. Melt butter in a wide saucepan. Add leeks and cook briefly. Season with salt and pepper, add 1/2 cup water, cover and simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions.

Cut lemon zest into thin strips. Chop lemon balm.