Ribbon Pasta with Pesto Sauce, Potatoes, and Green Beans
Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsWe’ve featured cookbook author and TV host Mary Ann Esposito many times, but this delicious pasta with pesto dish comes from a 2008 story we did about her beautiful garden in New Hampshire. We shared it again in 2010.
“I use the smaller, Genovese basil for my pesto dishes–the leaves are sweet,” said Mary Ann in 2008. “The larger Napoletano basil is for stuffing.”
Yield:
6 servingsIngredients
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 1/2 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.)
Makes 2 cups.
