Linguine with Pesto, Beans & Potatoes

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Ligurians call this variation Pesto Avantaggiato—loosely translated as “pesto plus”—and it is by far the best method for serving pesto. The magic touch of this variation is cooking the green beans and potatoes in the same cooking water as the linguine. The result is quite amazing. The addition of these two vegetables makes a world of difference. The potatoes bind the whole thing together and absorb the sauce in an utterly scrumptious way; the beans add needed moisture, an extra green color, and crunchiness. This is food for the gods.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed, halved
• 1/2 pound mall Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
• 1 (1-pound) package DeLallo Linguine
• 1 cup DeLallo Basil Pesto
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp yet tender, about 4 minutes. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer beans to large bowl.

Return cooking water to boil. Add the potatoes and boil until tender, about 7 minutes. Remove potatoes with same strainer and transfer to the bowl with the beans.

Return your cooking water to boil. Add the linguine to the same pot. Boil until pasta is just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water.

Place green beans, potatoes and cooked pasta back into the pot. Add pesto and toss to coat. Gradually begin adding enough reserved cooking water to coat the pasta, creating a creamy sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6 Send to friend Printer-friendly version