Linguine al Pesto Genovese

Chef Severin Corti serves his version of this classic dish, which comes from the area around Genoa in Liguria and is made with potatoes and green...

Ingredients

• 4 Bund basil
• 1 Handvoll garlic
• 30 g pine nuts
• 125 ml olive oil
• 4 EL Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra to serve
• 4 EL mature pecorino cheese, grated, plus extra to serve
• 300 g linguine
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
• 300 g green beans, trimmed and halved
• 1 EL salt
• 1 Handvoll basil leaves, to serve

Steps

1. Preparation:
2. For the pesto, mix all the ingredients briefly in an electric blender or food processor to make a relatively coarse-grained sauce.
3. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
4. When the water boils, salt generously and add the linguine together with the potato cubes. Stir well.
5. After about 6 minutes, add the beans and cook for a further 4–5 minutes: the beans should be reasonably soft, but the pasta should be al dente.
6. Reserve at least two ladlefuls of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the warm pan.
7. Add the pesto to the pasta along with enough of the cooking water to create a rich, silky sauce, stirring gently.
8. Serve in warmed bowls garnished with the basil leaves.
9. Serve with the extra Parmesan and pecorino cheeses separately so that everyone can sprinkle some extra over the pasta as they like.