I usually make pesto by throwing the five ingredients – pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, and basil – into the food processor all at once, blending, then tasting, usually adding more cheese, and blending again. The thing is, I’m never quite happy with the results – it’s inconsistent. So this time, I did a little research into “best pesto” recipes, and take a more methodical approach. Two recipe caught my eye – this one, by The Best Remedy for A Cup of Jo, and this classic Marcella Hazan recipe. The two recipes aren’t so different from one another, so I followed the Marcella Hazan recipe and borrowed The Best Remedy’s idea of toasting the pine nuts first. The extra steps – grating the cheese by hand and stirring it in at the end, pre-chopping the garlic, and the little bit of butter added to the final product – made a huge difference. It really was perfect pesto. Tossed with the quickly blanched green beans, a few spoonfuls of capers, lightly toasted almonds, and hot pasta, it was a perfect and light summer lunch. And a really good way to use up some green beans.
Green Bean Farfalle with Pesto, Capers, and Almonds
Serves 4.
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
- 1/2 c. olive oil
- 3 TBS pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- salt
- 1/2 c. finely grated parmesan cheese
- 3 TBS butter at room temperature
- 2 lbs. green beans, ends trimmed, sliced in half on the diagonal
- 1 lb. farfalle
- 1/3 c. almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/3 c. capers
- Wash the basil gently, then pat completely dry with a paper towel.
- Toast the pine nuts until they are fragrant in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent them from burning.
- Finely chop the garlic by hand.
- Add the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and a pinch of salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Stir in the parmesan cheese by hand, then stir in the butter.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the green beans until bright green, then remove with a slotted spoon and set in a large bowl. Add the farfalle to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, then drain.
- Lightly toast the chopped almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are golden brown and fragrant. Stir frequently to prevent them from burning.
- Toss together the green beans, pesto, farfalle, capers, and almonds, until everything is equally coated. Serve hot.
Dining and Cooking