Trenette with Pesto, Potatoes & Green Beans

This is how they eat pesto in Liguria, the Italian region where basil reigns supreme.

Instead of just pasta and pesto, the traditional preparation adds cubed potatoes and green beans cooked right in the same pot as the pasta. The starchy pasta water gets whisked into the pesto, creating a silky sauce that clings to every strand of trenette. It’s genius: the potatoes add creamy substance, the green beans bring sweet crunch, and the whole thing tastes like summer in a bowl.

Make the pesto from scratch with a food processor (fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and a heap of Romano and Parmesan). It takes 10 minutes and tastes a thousand times better than jarred.

Chef Tips

• Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until fragrant before adding to the pesto (game changer)
• Cook potatoes first, then beans, then pasta in the same water so everything finishes at the same time
• Reserve a full cup of pasta water (you’ll use ½ cup in the pesto, and the rest for thinning if needed)
• Use trenette or linguine (traditional shapes), but any long pasta works
• Pass extra Pecorino Romano at the table for those who want more salty, funky cheese

Variations

• Walnut Pesto: Swap pine nuts for toasted walnuts for earthier flavor and lower cost
• Arugula Boost: Add ½ cup arugula to the pesto for peppery bite
• Summer Squash: Replace green beans with thin-sliced zucchini for a different texture