Pesto with Pasta and Other Good Things
Is it possible the weather is turning? Will all those showers in April really bring May flowers? The first weekend in May looks to be glorious weather-wise here in the Berkshires, and perhaps we can see that glimmer of summer in the future.
So we decided to take the plunge and use the last container of pesto that was in the freezer from the many batches we made last summer. It’s always such a treat in the middle of winter to use from the freezer a container of pesto or a purée of garden-ripe tomatoes or corn cut from the cob. I try to space it out over the course of the cold months, and we smile, remembering warm, sunny days, every time we get that taste of summer when the snow is blowing and the wind is howling.
As delicious as our pesto is – and I’ve included the recipe below – the best versions we have ever had, of course, were in Genoa and Corniglia, Italy. Ours will never reach those heights, but still, basil gets a spot in our single raised bed in the backyard, along with tomatoes, the only two things we grow ourselves, as our property sits on solid ledge which makes gardening a challenge.
One of the traditional ways to serve pesto in Liguria, the region of Genoa where pesto reigns supreme, is with pasta, potatoes, and green beans. We were going to follow suit with a couple of boiling potatoes we had and some frozen green beans, but then we noticed some leftover roasted cauliflower in the refrigerator. The frozen green beans will last, we surmised, and, in an effort to use everything, we swapped in the cauliflower – perhaps not traditional, but delicious nonetheless!
Pesto
Because we freeze most of our pesto, we find chopped raw garlic can have an off taste after months in the freezer. We have had better success using store-bought garlic-infused olive oil, but it’s always an option to use a couple cloves of garlic, especially if using the pesto right away.
3 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅓- ½ cup garlic-infused olive oil, or regular olive oil plus 2 medium cloves of garlic
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in the food processor, including the garlic cloves, if using. Pulse to break down and combine. Drizzle in the oil with the machine running until the desired consistency is reached.
Use as soon as possible, or put into containers for the freezer or freeze in ice cube trays. I like to use multiple ½-cup containers so I can take out as much or as little as I need. If you put it into ice cube trays, remove once frozen and store in zipper bag. (If you need to store freshly made pesto in the refrigerator for a short time, pour a small amount of olive oil on the top to “seal” the pesto.)
Pasta with Pesto, Potatoes, and a Vegetable
Serves 2
2 medium boiling potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup pesto, homemade or store-bought
8 ounces linguini or other dried pasta (trofie is traditional in Genoa and the surrounding region)
½-1 cup green beans, frozen or fresh, cut into 1-inch pieces if necessary, or substitute another vegetable if that’s what you have, such as cauliflower, broccoli, or asparagus, to name a few
Extra virgin olive oil, if needed
Grated Parmesan for serving
Put a pot of salted water on to boil.
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a vigorous simmer, and cook the potato pieces until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Place the pesto into a large serving bowl. If it’s coming right out of the freezer, place it somewhere warm so that the pesto will begin to thaw.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
If the vegetable you are adding is raw, you will need to cook it, and if so, you can add it right to the pasta water. The only tricky thing here is the timing. If your pasta takes 10 minutes, but your fresh green beans are young and tender, you will not want the beans to be in the boiling water for that long. You may even have to start the vegetable before the pasta. So make your best judgment depending on what you’re using. When we made it this most recent time, because we decided to use leftover roasted cauliflower, we didn’t put it in the boiling water at all, but just took it from the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature before mixing with the rest of the ingredients at the end.
When the pasta is al dente, reserve a small amount of pasta water in case it’s needed. Move the pasta pot right next to the bowl with the pesto and, using tongs and a spider as necessary, remove the pasta and vegetable (if cooked with the pasta) directly from the water into the bowl. It’s important to make sure some of the pasta water clings to the pasta to give body to the sauce. Add the potatoes and any precooked, leftover vegetables you may be using to the bowl. Mix well. If the pasta seems dry, gradually add some of the reserved pasta water and mix again. A drizzle of olive oil is optional. Serve with grated Parmesan.