Equipment
Ingredients
Pesto
- 50 g fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
- 30 g pine nuts
- 50 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 garlic, peeled
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil, high quality
- 3 g coarse sea salt
Pasta & Vegetables
- 320 g farfalle pasta
- 200 g waxy potatoes, peeled and diced into 1.5cm cubes
- 150 g green beans, trimmed and cut into 3cm lengths
- 4000 ml water
- 30 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 648 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 68 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 3357 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 19 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 9 mg
- Potassium
- 387 mg
- Calcium
- 225 mg
- Iron
- 4.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 43 mg
- Phosphorus
- 169 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 72 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 67 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 18 mcg
- Water
- 58 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare the pesto: Combine basil, pine nuts, grated Parmesan, garlic, and coarse salt in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
With the processor running slowly, stream in the olive oil until a creamy, emulsified paste forms. Transfer to a large mixing bowl (large enough to hold all the pasta later).
Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large pot and add the salt. Add the diced potatoes and cook for 2 minutes before adding anything else.
Add the farfalle pasta to the boiling water with the potatoes. Stir immediately to prevent sticking.
When there are 4 minutes remaining on the pasta timer, add the green beans to the pot.
Reserve 120ml (1/2 cup) of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta, potatoes, and beans thoroughly.
Add 2 tablespoons of the hot pasta water to the pesto bowl to temper it. Add the drained pasta and vegetables to the bowl. Toss vigorously to coat everything in sauce.
Add more reserved pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce feels too thick. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Using waxy potatoes (like Yukon Gold) is crucial; starchy russets will disintegrate into soup in the boiling water.
- For the brightest green color, you can quickly blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 5 seconds and shock them in ice water before making the pesto.
- The potato starch released into the cooking water acts as a binder, making the pesto creamier than usual—don't skip the potato!
- Cut the green beans and farfalle to roughly similar sizes to ensure every forkful is balanced.
- If you find raw garlic too pungent, remove the germ (the green sprout inside) or blanch the garlic clove with the potatoes for 1 minute.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Pesto may darken slightly due to oxidation; stir well before reheating gently.
Freezer: 2 months — Freezing pasta with potatoes affects texture; best eaten fresh. Pesto alone freezes well.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water. Do not microwave high heat to avoid oil separation.
Troubleshooting
Pesto turns dark brown
Cause: Oxidation of basil leaves from heat or air exposure
Fix: The flavor is still good, just cosmetic. Stir in a little fresh chopped parsley to brighten the green.
Prevention: Ensure basil is dry before blending; do not heat pesto directly; blanch basil for 10 seconds if prepping well in advance
Sauce separates (oily)
Cause: Pesto was heated too aggressively or not enough starchy water was used
Fix: Add a splash of hot starchy water and toss vigorously to re-emulsify
Prevention: Always toss pasta and pesto in a bowl off the heat, not in the hot pot
Cultural Context
Originating from Liguria, Italy, this dish (often called 'Trenette al Pesto' when made with long noodles) creates a perfect synergy of ingredients. The region is famous for Genovese basil, and the addition of potatoes and beans was a traditional way to bulk up the expensive pasta and sauce with humble, garden-available produce.
