author: steveandsarah
created: 2005-02-28 01:31:23
servings: 4
notes:
A pretty easy dish... only slightly more work than throwing some pesto on pasta, and makes for a more satisfying meal. From Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's Kitchen".
recipe:
Ingredients: pesto (store-bought will do, but go ahead & make your own if you're hard-core) salt & pepper 7 oz potatoes, peeled 14 oz fresh or dried tagliatelle 1 handful of green beans, tops removed. (We use frozen ones from Trader Joe's.) 1 handful of grated cheese. Slice the potatoes 1/2 inch thick and put them into a large pan of salted water - the idea is to cook the pasta in this pan as well, so make sure it's big enough. Bring to the boil, cook until the potatoes are tender but still holding their shape, then add the pasta to the same water. If you're using fresh pasta then add the beans at the same time, as they will both need about 3 minutes; if using dried, add the beans 3 minutes before the pasta is done. Don't worry too much about the potatoes breaking up, as very often when you are served this in Genoa, the beans are a little overcooked and sometimes the potatoes have broken up into small peices but the flavor remains sublime. And it adds to the whole character of the dish. Once the potatoes, pasta, and beans are cooked, drain in a colander, saving some of the cooking water. Now place the potatoes, pasta and beans in a large bowl with your pesto. Toss together, coating the pasta, then add a bit of the cooking water to give you a loose light sauce - you don't want it to be too claggy. Season well to taste and serve straight away with extra grated Parmesan on the table and a nice bottle of white.