A recipe from Gemo
Pasta al Pesto Genovese
A bright Ligurian pasta with raw basil pesto, tender potatoes, and French green beans. This home version keeps the Genoese pesto central: fresh basil, extra-virgin olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano-style cheese, Pecorino, and starchy pasta water make a vivid green sauce without cream or cooking the pesto.
Method
- 01
Prepare the pesto ingredients before cooking the pasta. Rinse the basil briefly in cold water only if needed, then dry it very well. Finely grate both cheeses, peel the garlic, and keep the olive oil, pine nuts, and a small pinch of salt ready.
- 02
Make the pesto in a mortar, or pulse carefully in a small food processor. Crush the garlic with a small pinch of salt, add 15 g pine nuts, then work in 50 g basil until it forms a fragrant green paste. Mix in 45 g Parmigiano-Reggiano and 20 g Pecorino, then drizzle in 80 ml olive oil until creamy, stopping before the basil overheats or darkens.
- 03
Bring 3 liters water to a boil in a large pot and salt it. Add the 180 g potato cubes and 320 g pasta, timing them so both finish together; add the 120 g green beans during the final few minutes. Cook until the pasta is al dente, the potatoes are tender, and the green beans are still bright.
⏱ 10 min
- 04
Spoon the pesto into a large warm bowl, not a hot pan. Loosen it with a few tablespoons of starchy pasta water until glossy. Reserve more pasta water, then drain the pasta, potatoes, and green beans and add them to the bowl.
- 05
Toss gently until every strand is coated in the basil pesto, adding small splashes of reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Serve immediately while the pesto is bright green and aromatic, without simmering or reheating the sauce.
Nutrition
