THREE-VEGETABLE PENNE WITH TARRAGON-BASIL PESTO

Three-Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Salt
1 pound penne rigate (ridged) pasta
1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 small zucchini
1/4 pound haricots verts (thin green beans) or regular green beans, stem ends trimmed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves
1/2 cup fresh tarragon, leaves stripped from 10 to 12 stems
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a couple of handfuls, plus more to pass at the table
Coarse black pepper
1/3 cup EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil; eyeball it)

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente; it should still have a bite to it. Cut the asparagus spears on an angle into 2-inch pieces. Cut the zucchini into matchsticks. Cut the haricots verts or green beans on an angle into 2-inch pieces. Add the vegetables to the pot with the pasta after the penne has been cooking for about 5 minutes. Boil the veggies and pasta together for 2 minutes.
While the pasta is working, toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet until golden, then cool. Place the nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, 1/2 cup of cheese, and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the EVOO until a thick sauce forms.
Scrape the pesto into a large, shallow serving dish. Add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto. Drain the penne and veggies and immediately add them to the pesto. Toss to coat the pasta and vegetables evenly. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve with extra grated cheese to pass at the table.