Pasta with Pesto, Potatoes, and Green Beans

Name: Pasta with Pesto, Potatoes, and Green Beans
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 1/4 cup, pine nuts; 3 , garlic cloves, unpeeled; 1 pound, large red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; , Salt and pepper; 12 ounces, green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths; 2 cups, fresh basil leaves; 1 ounce, Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup); 7 tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil; 1 pound, gemelli or trofie; 2 tablespoons, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled; 1 tablespoon, lemon juice

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated July/August 2013, America's Test Kitchen TV

This classic dish comes from the Liguria region of Italy, where pasta and pesto are paired with a surprising ingredient: potatoes.

SERVES6

TIME1¼ hours

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

The idea of serving two starches together might seem unusual, but this dish from Liguria is the classic way to serve pesto. The starch from the potatoes lends body to the sauce, and the tender green beans add color and flavor. Red potatoes ...

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