An Old Favourite

Well the following recipie will not break any boundaries but it is an old favourite and an easy spot of lunch to 'whip up.'

It does break the duel carb rule as well by using both potatoes and pasta in the same dish.

A few days a go I made up a large batch of pesto and fancied using some up today with something or other. Alas, no meat or fish in sight and my wife has the car.

I'm sure we have all been there before.

As always in our house there is an abundance of all manner of dried pastas and new potatoes.

Pesto con fagiolini e patate

Pesto with green beans & potatoes.

For the pesto Genovese (this will make enough for around 6 portions):

75g/3oz basil

50g/2oz pine nuts lightly toasted

50g/2oz parmesan cheese freshly grated

2 clove garlic, peeled & chopped

120ml/5fl oz olive oil

Salt and pepper at your discretion, I prefer to count on the salt from the cheese and 'pepper' flavour from the basil.

Whizz or chop all ingredients together. Not too fine though. It is nice to have a few 'bits in it' this way you know its home made.

The rest of the dish:

20-30 new potatoes (depending on appetite) Cut in half.

220g/5oz Green beans toppped and tailed.

300g-460g/120z-16oz dried pasta such as Linguini or spaghetti

Place new potatos in pan of cold salted water-place on stove and bring to a steady boil but not furious. About 15-20 minutes

In the mean time also a bring a pan of water to the boil for the pasta. Allow approximately 4 litres of water per 500g of pasta when using dried pastas. When water is boiling add salt.

Also bring a smaller pan of water up to the boil for the green beans. Salt lightly.

By now your potatoes should be almost cooked and your pasta water pan boiling.

When you are almost ready to take the potatoes off It is time to cook your green beans and pasta.

Add your pasta of choice to the pan of boiling water. After a few seconds the pasta will start to soften enough for you to submerge the pasta under water. Place a lid on to bring the water back to the boil. At this stage I would suggest that you supervise the pan as over flowing water can extinguish your flame.

At the same time add your green beans to the smaller pan which should have reached the boil well before the pasta pan. The green beans for al-dente will take 2-3 minutes

Remove lid of the pasta panand stir gently. Depending on the type and brand of dried pasta the cooking process should only take a few minutes for al-dente. Check after 3 minutes.

In the mean time if you havnt already done so, take your potatoes off and drain.

Now take off your beans and drain-set aside. Now take off your pasta, drain but keep some of the cooking water at hand to loosen the end dish.

If every thing has gone to plan your potatoes should be cooked nicely (not over cooked) and drained, your pasta and beans are cooked as well.

Combine all three ingredients to a mixing bowl (Not one that is stone cold but rather room temperature) and add your pesto-use as much or as little as you like, but remember that most of the flavour for the dish is in the pesto. And stir to coat. If the sauce is a little thick and dry then add a touch of the cooking water to the dish.

Serve with a pepper mill at hand and extra parmesan.

Although not traditional I do like to add either slow roasted or 'confit' cherry tomatoes or sun blush tomatoes to this dish at the end if I have some as they add a welcome 'sweetness' to the

end product.

Although I prefer to eat it warm this can of course be chilled making sure to refresh pasta, potaoes and green beans after cooking to prevent discolouration and getting over cooked, and eaten as a 'salad.'

Hope you like this lovely simple dish!