Best Herby Pesto Bean Potato Pasta Recipes

PASTA, GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES WITH PESTO

Pasta, Green Beans and Potatoes With Pesto image

The most elegant pasta dish that Italian cooks have ever invented is astonishingly simple to make. Here, the magical green sauce is tossed with trenette (or any long pasta you can twirl around a fork), tender slices of potato and barely blanched green beans.

Provided by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Categories dinner, weeknight, pastas, main course, side dish

Time 30m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

2 cups packed tender young basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon salt
2 plump garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with flat blade of a knife
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or more to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 pound small potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1/4 pound tender young green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 pound trenette, or other long, thin pasta

Steps:

Make pesto: In the bowl of food processor, add basil, pine nuts, salt and garlic. Pulse until mixture is coarse and grainy. With the motor running, add oil in slow, steady stream. Add cheese; process just enough to mix well. If sauce is too dry, add a little more oil. Taste; add more cheese or salt, if desired.
Bring 6 quarts water to rolling boil. Add at least 2 tablespoons salt and the potato slices. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until potatoes have started to soften but are not cooked through. Add green beans, and continue boiling another 5 minutes.
Add pasta, and stir. Start testing pasta at 5 minutes. When it is done, and when potatoes and beans are tender, drain and turn pasta and vegetables immediately into preheated bowl. Add pesto, and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 414, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 49 grams, Fat 19 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 12 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 304 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams

RISOTTO WITH HERB PESTO, POTATO, AND GREEN BEANS

Risotto with Herb Pesto, Potato, and Green Beans image

Pesto and potatoes are traditionally tossed with a short, twisty pasta called trofie in the Liguria region of Italy. Stirring them into risotto is a revelation, especially as the weather cools and you want something cozier for dinner. You might be surprised by the blend of potato and rice in the recipe but give it a minute. The cut-up spud has an initial firmness that gives way to lusciousness, and is the perfect complement to the silky carnaroli rice.

Provided by Lauryn Tyrell

Categories Rice Recipes

Time 1h15m

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
1 small clove garlic
4 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and more for drizzling
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
1 cup short-grain risotto rice, such as carnaroli or arborio
1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1/2 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (1/2 cup), plus more for serving

Steps:

Pulse pine nuts, garlic, and herbs in a food processor until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper; with motor running, stream in 1/3 cup oil until combined. Season to taste.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add green beans and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Add potato to pot and simmer until tender but not falling apart, about 6 minutes; drain.
In same pot, combine broth, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and maintain a bare simmer, partially covered (to avoid evaporation).
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium. Add onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until translucent and grains begin to make a popping sound, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in wine; cook until mostly evaporated, about 30 seconds.
Ladle about 1 cup broth mixture into skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of broth has been absorbed and bottom of skillet stays visible for a second or two as you mix, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue ladling broth into skillet, about 1/2 cup at a time (or enough to just cover rice), stirring often and allowing rice to absorb most of broth before adding more, 15 to 20 minutes. When rice is cooked through but still al dente and sauce has thickened, stir in 1/2 cup pesto, green beans, and potato; cook just until heated through, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add cheese, a good drizzle of oil, and a few spoonfuls of remaining broth. Stir vigorously to create a silky sauce. Check seasoning and stir in more pesto, if desired. Serve with a drizzle of oil, topped with more cheese and pepper.