pesto alla genovese

How to make pesto alla genovese recipe

Serves 4

Preparation time 10 minutes, Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients:
75 g (3 oz) basil leaves
25 g (1 oz) pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
1 tablespoon grated pecorino cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
250 g (8 oz) baby new potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
400 g (13 oz) dried trenette or linguine
150 g (5 oz) green beans, trimmed

Method:
Grind the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a mortar with a pestle until the mixture forms a paste. Stir in the cheeses, then slowly add the oil, a little at a time, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.

Alternatively, blend the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor until the mixture forms a paste. Add the cheeses and process briefly, then, with the motor still running, pour in the oil through the feed tube in a thin, steady stream.

Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 5 minutes, then add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente. Add the beans 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Drain the pasta and vegetables, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. Return the cooked pasta and vegetables to the pan and stir in the pesto sauce, adding the reserved water to loosen the mixture. Serve immediately, with some extra grated Parmesan.

For pesto penne with sun-dried tomatoes & feta, make the pesto as above. Cook 400 g (13 oz) penne in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente.

Meanwhile, toast a handful of pine nuts in a frying pan until golden, being careful not to let them burn, and chop 8 sun-dried tomatoes and set aside. Drain the pasta, stir through the pesto and sun-dried tomatoes and sprinkle with the pine nuts and 100 g (3½ oz) crumbled feta. Serve immediately with a green salad.

pesto alla genovese