Linguini with Haricot Vert, Potatoes and Pesto
Perfect dish for meatless Mondays! I have made this dish many times but I decided to jazz it up a bit with adding my own homemade croutons. It’s not in the recipe below but it’s quite simple. I took a baguette and diced it into 1 inch squares. I then cooked some grated garlic in olive oil, drizzled it all over the cut up bread on a cookie sheet and baked the whole thing for 5 minutes- and voila.. I had yummy croutons. It adds a great crunch to the dish…
- 2 medium yellow skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Heat a wide frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the potatoes and sauté on medium high heat, stirring, for about 4 to 5 minutes or till the potatoes are golden brown and cooked through. Take out of the pan and keep aside.
- 2 cups Haricot vert, trimmed
- ½ pound linguini
- Salt
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the beans. Cook for a minute and immediately place under cold water, dry and keep aside. Add the pasta in the same boiling water and cook till done. Drain and spare half cup of the pasta water.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought (recipe follows)
- Salt
Reheat the frying pan and add the olive oil. Return the potatoes to the pan with the green beans, pesto, pasta and the ½ cup pasta water. Mix well and heat everything through on medium heat. Check for seasonings and serve.
Basil Pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt
In a food processor, add the garlic and pine nuts. Process till smooth. Add the fresh basil and while the processor is on, drizzle the olive oil slowly till the consistency is smooth and wet. Take out in a bowl and add the cheese, lemon juice and salt. Store in the fridge.
