Pesto pasta Liguria with potatoes and green beans
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
459 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Pesto pasta Liguria with potatoes and green beans
Description
Pesto pasta Liguria with potatoes and green beans is a classic Italian dish featuring pasta tossed in a fresh basil pesto enhanced with toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, and Pecorino cheese. The recipe calls for medium young basil leaves that provide a bright flavor without bitterness, and the pine nuts are toasted to deepen their taste. The inclusion of new or red potatoes alongside green beans adds a hearty but delicate texture to the plate. Preparation involves either making pesto by hand with a mortar and pestle to retain texture or pulsing ingredients gently in a blender to avoid bruising the basil. The pasta is cooked until al dente, combined with boiled potatoes and blanched green beans, then mixed with the pesto to create a flavorful, aromatic sauce coating each piece. This dish is versatile with various pasta shapes like trofie or trenette, traditionally found in Liguria.
The flavor balance comes from fresh herbs, the mild garlic note, the saltiness from the cheeses, and the natural sweetness and earthiness of the potatoes and beans. Texture-wise, the softness of potatoes contrasts with the snap of green beans, while the pesto clings to the pasta for a cohesive eating experience. This pasta suits a light lunch or a satisfying dinner paired with a simple green salad or crusty bread.
For substitutions, homemade corzetti pasta can be used, and other similar pasta shapes like fettuccine or penne work well if corzetti is unavailable. Toasting the pine nuts is optional but adds a nutty depth, and choosing young basil leaves helps keep the pesto bright and fresh. The recipe draws from traditional Ligurian methods, maintaining authenticity through ingredient selection and preparation techniques.
Ingredients
- 320 g corzetti pasta or Trofie or trenette
- 120 g Green bean fresh
- 120 g potato You can use red potatoes. I like new potatoes
For the pesto
- 4 handfuls basil in Liguria they use Basilico Genovese D.O.P, fresh leaves, preferably young leaves
- 30 g pine nuts I like to toast mine.
- 50 g parmesan In Liguria they use aged Parmesan
- 30 g pecorino cheese from Sardinia
- 1-2 garlic peeled. In Liguria they use garlic from Vessalico, cloves
- sea salt for pasta and to taste, coarse
- extra virgin olive oil as required
Instructions
Make the pesto
- If it’s possible, choose medium sized young basil leaves (brighter green). Rinse the leaves under water and dry them with paper towels. Dry fry the pine nuts for 2-3 minutes if you prefer to have them toasted.
Using a pestle and mortar
- Peel the garlic cloves and put them into a mortar with pine nuts. Grind until you have a paste Then add some basil leaves, and a little coarse salt, and 3 tablespoon of olive oil.Keep working with the pestle, while continuing to add more basil leaves and olive oil until the pesto is smooth and consistent. Finally, transfer to a bowl and add the cheeses and stir well.
Using a blender or mini food processor
- You can either put all the ingredients in the blender and pulse a few seconds at a time until you have the right consistency. Don’t keep pulsing for too long at once as the blender will heat up and this can spoil the basil. Alternatively, crush the pine nuts in a pestle and mortar or with a hammer. Blend the olive, oil, basil, salt and garlic until you have the right consistency. Add the cheese and crushed pine nuts after. Mix well with a fork or wooden spoon.
Cooking the other ingredients
- Wash the vegetables, then top and tail the green beans and cut them into 2 or 3 pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. Fill a large pot with water and bring to boil, then add the sea salt.
- Either boil the vegetables along with pasta until all are “al dente”, or cook separately.You can cook the beans and potatoes together and then remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon. (I did this)
- Finally, cook the pasta al dente in the vegetable water according to the instructions on the packet. Save a cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
- Mix the pesto with the potatoes and green beans in a frying pan over a low heat for a minute or in a bowl. Then add the drained pasta and a little pasta cooking water. Mix everything together carefully and serve with extra grated cheese and some more toasted pine nuts if required.
Notes
- You can substitute the suggested pasta types with other similar long or short pasta such as fettuccine or penne.
- Homemade corzetti dough may be used for an authentic touch.
- Toasting pine nuts before making pesto enhances their flavor but can be skipped if preferred.
- Use young, medium-sized fresh basil leaves for a brighter, less bitter pesto.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 459 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 459kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 69g | 23% |
| Protein | 20g | 40% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 16mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 299mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 434mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 339IU | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 10mg | 11% |
| Calcium | 262mg | 26% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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