Everyone knows how delicious pesto pasta is, but few have had the real recipes that Ligurians cook with their beloved pesto alla Genovese. "Trenette al Pesto" is one of them. It mixes pasta and pesto with green beans and potatoes for an exquisite dish that is a must-try for basil pesto fans.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Makes: 2 servings
Cook Time: 30 minutes
For this recipe, you will need:
1/2 cup (120ml) pesto alla genovese
3.5 oz. (100g) green beans
1/2 large russet potato, peeled and cubed
5.5 oz. (160g) linguine
Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Add the green beans and cubed potatoes. Boil the vegetable for 3-4 minutes. We recommend 3 minutes if your pasta has a long cook time (10+ minutes) and 4 if your pasta cooks a little quicker (8-10 minutes).
After the vegetables have boiled for a few minutes, add the linguine into the pot (yes, with the potatoes and green beans) and cook as directed by the pasta packaging.
While the pasta boils, place the pesto into a large mixing bowl and thin it with a few spoonfuls of pasta water.
When the pasta is "al dente" to your taste, use tongs to transfer it (along with the vegetables) into the pesto bowl. Mix all together until the sauce completely coats the pasta. If the sauce seems a little too thick, simply mix in more pasta water as necessary to thin it.
Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
If you've never had homemade pesto alla Genovese before, you owe it to yourself to try your hand at making some! Check out our recipe here for the perfect pesto to pair with your pasta.