Pasta, Green Beans and Potatoes With Pesto
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2cups packed tender young basil leaves
- ¼cup pine nuts
- 1teaspoon salt
- 2plump garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with flat blade of a knife
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
- ½cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or more to taste
- Salt to taste
- ½pound small potatoes, peeled and sliced about ¼-inch thick
- ¼pound tender young green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
- 1pound trenette, or other long, thin pasta
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
423 calories; 20 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 309 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make pesto: In the bowl of food processor, add basil, pine nuts, salt and garlic. Pulse until mixture is coarse and grainy. With the motor running, add oil in slow, steady stream. Add cheese; process just enough to mix well. If sauce is too dry, add a little more oil. Taste; add more cheese or salt, if desired.
- Step 2
Bring 6 quarts water to rolling boil. Add at least 2 tablespoons salt and the potato slices. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until potatoes have started to soften but are not cooked through. Add green beans, and continue boiling another 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Add pasta, and stir. Start testing pasta at 5 minutes. When it is done, and when potatoes and beans are tender, drain and turn pasta and vegetables immediately into preheated bowl. Add pesto, and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a classic, wonderful Italian recipe from Liguria.If you are wary about the timing,ie first the potatoes,then the green beans then the pasta,just first do the potatoes,when almost done take them out of the water,let the water continue,add the beans, take them out when almost done,keep the water going and add the pasta until done,keep the beans and potatoes in a bowl that can be kept warm,when the pasta is done,then mix everything together.PS: I live in Italy and everyone loves my version.
If the potatoes are sliced 1/4", then they don't need 15-20 minutes cooking. Nor do green beans need 10-15 minutes cookings. I work backwards from how long it will take the pasta to cook. I cut the potatoes a little thicker, but they still don't need more than 6-7 mins, and the green beans shouldn't need more than 5. So I usually put the pasta in first, and then when it has about 7 mins left I add the potatoes, and then a minute or two later I add the green beans.
Here’s a trick straight outta Genova. Before draining the pasta, put a little butter (Genova is in the North) or extra olive oil in the bottom of your serving bowl. Add half the pesto you will use and a ladle of the starchy water you’re about to drain away. Mix that up, then drain and continue as you were.
A very enjoyable dish. I would, however use three-quarter to 1 pound of green beans and 3/4 to 1 pound of potatoes. It’s an interesting recipe and clearly Italian in origin. I would recommend it highly with these modifications and would reduce the pasta to one half to three-quarter pounds instead of a whole pound the pesto was the shining star, and with a whole pound it loses its prominence
This became a big goopy mess for me. I’m not sure how you can cook the 1/4” sliced potatoes to tender and have them hold up when (even delicately) mixing in the pesto.
One of my favorite pasta dishes ever since I came across it decades ago in Italy. My twist on it is to sauté the potatoes, cut into 3/8” cubes, separately in olive oil until golden while the pasta is cooking. A few minutes before the pasta is done add the green beans to the boiling water. No complex timing here—and more flavorful potatoes, ideally with a little crunch.