walnut pesto with potatoes, pasta and green beans
Recipe & Food Styling Mari Loewen
This recipe is one of our favourites and we've made it a million times! Emailed right from Calabria, from a girlfriend's Italian grandmother.
Luscious walnut pesto with al dente cooked pasta, fresh green beans, and new baby potatoes transforms a few fresh ingredients into a spectacular meal.
Ingredients
1 package linguine pasta
Walnut basil pesto
1/2 cup walnuts
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (vegan substitute or omit)
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 new baby potatoes
1/2 pound green beans, French-ed (see note in directions)
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Preparation
For pesto, place garlic, walnuts, cheese, and basil in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until puréed; about 1 minute. With food processor running, gradually add olive oil until just emulsified. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in large stock pot, bring potatoes to boil until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. In the same pot, add pasta and continue cooking another 7 minutes. Add green beans to the pot and cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat and drain, reserving 1 cup liquid. Toss with pesto and serve immediately. Season with salt and pepper; serve immediately. Serves up to 4.
Note: To "French" green beans, trim ends and slice in half. This is a more delicate way of serving green beans, and more visually pleasing as well.
