Pasta with Pesto Sauce, Potatoes & Green Beans

Share:

Rate this Recipe:

This delicious pasta dish come from friend, cookbook author, and TV host Mary Ann Esposito.

Ingredients

4-6 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

2 medium-size potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch diagonal pieces

1 pound trenette (or linguine)

1/2 cup Pesto Sauce

Freshly grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add salt, potatoes, and green beans; cook until al dente (tender but firm), about 4 minutes.

Add pasta; stir well. Cover; bring water back to a boil. Uncover; cook pasta just until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Drain pasta and vegetables into a colander, reserving ½ cup cooking water.

Return pasta and vegetables to pot.

In a small bowl, combine Pesto Sauce with just enough reserved cooking water to create a smooth consistency.

Pour over pasta and vegetables and combine gently, mixing well, over low heat.

Transfer to a platter or bowl, garnish with cheese, and serve immediately, with extra cheese on the side.

Pesto Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, stems discarded

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for storage

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

3 tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese

Kosher or sea salt

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse basil and garlic until mixture is coarse. With motor running, add oil in a slow, steady stream; sauce should be the consistency of ketchup. Add pine nuts; pulse until coarsely chopped.

Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in cheese and salt to taste.

Transfer sauce to a jar. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over sauce, cap the jar, and refrigerate. (Use a hot sterilized jar if you’ll be storing it more than 4 days.)

Yield: 2 cups

Cooking & Recipes