PASTA GENOVESE

Pasta Genovese is a delicious specialty hailing from Genoa, Italy. It combines the rich, nutty, creamy flavor of a traditional pesto sauce, with the earthy taste of garden vegetables like baby potatoes and green beans. This dish is simple to make and will have your guests drooling over the rustic decadence in no time!

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4 servings

Pesto:

2 cups of fresh basil leaves

2 cloves of garlic

¼ cup pine nuts 

¾ cup olive oil

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta:

1 package of pasta, dried or fresh

5 fingerling or new potatoes

1 small bunch of green beans, ends snipped off

1 tbsp olive oil

5 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tbsp Pine nuts, toasted

½ cup white wine

1 cup pesto

1 tbsp salted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp grated Parmesan

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tbsp shaved Parmesan

PREPARATION

For the pesto:

Add all pesto ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

For the pasta:

1.     Put the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water.

2.     Bring the pot of water to a boil and boil for 5-6 minutes until the potatoes are almost cooked through.

3.     Add the green beans to the pot in the last minute and cook for 1 minute.

4.     Drain the potatoes and green beans and run under chilled water, then cover with ice until chilled, to reserve the bright green color of the beans. 

5.     Once cool, cut the potatoes into quarters and the green beans into 1-inch pieces.

6.     Add the spaghetti to boiling well-salted water and cook until al dente according to package instructions. 

7.     Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a medium sauté pan over medium to high heat.

8.     Add the potatoes, green beans and asparagus spears and sauté until almost cooked through but still too crisp, 2-3 minutes.

9.     Add the pine nuts.

10. Add the wine and sauté until absorbed, about 1 minute.

11. Add the butter and the pesto.

12. Stir until absorbed and let the sauce rest over a low heat. 

13. When the pasta is done, drain (reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water) and add the pasta and the reserved water to the sauce. 

14. Season with salt, pepper and grated Parmesan cheese and stir.

15. Place into your white serving bowl. 

16. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, cherry tomatoes and a crack of black pepper. 

Photos thanks to the wonderful Betsy Newman Photography!