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Pesto Pasta with Potatoes and Green Beans is a well-rounded dinner that’s easy to make and always satisfies. Homemade pesto adds incredible flavor to this hearty, fresh mixture of tender pasta, vibrant green beans, and soft potatoes.
Pesto Pasta with Potatoes (aka Pasta Alla Genovese)
Don’t you just love when your whole dinner is in one dish? While you can serve this easy to make pesto pasta with potatoes as a side dish next to the protein of your choice (chicken, shrimp, etc.), it’s also a delicious dinner all by itself. The pasta and potatoes will keep you nice and full, while the green beans help to sneak in some nutrients.
I’m a pretty big pesto fan, especially when it’s not from a jar. Homemade basil pesto is SO quick and easy to make and the flavor is so fresh! No matter how inexpensive or organic the store-bought stuff is, it can never hold a candle to the real deal.
It’s just about summertime (yay, basil plants), which means it’s time to restock your kitchen with freshly flavored dinner recipes that really hit the spot! Salads and wraps don’t always cut it, and sometimes you need something hearty, yet fresh after a long day in the sun. This pasta dinner will actually fill you up, while still tasting fresh, bright, and perfectly summery. Serve with an equally refreshing cucumber salad and summer lemonade, and you’ve got a complete summer meal!
Variations
- Use another type of pasta. You can use any short cut pasta (penne, fusilli, etc.) or long pasta (linguini, bucatini, etc.).
- Frozen green beans. I would try to stick to fresh in this recipe as much as possible.
- Try a different protein. Grilled shrimp would be fabulous in this along with shredded chicken or grilled chicken strips!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Once your leftovers are completely cooled to room temperature, place it in a food storage container. In the fridge, it’ll stay fresh for about 2-3 days.
Pesto Pasta with Potatoes and Green Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 cups (1183 ml) vegetable broth
- 12 small potatoes, cut into round discs ½ inch to 1 inch thick
- 4 cups (240 g) pasta, dry, uncooked
- 3 cups (330 g) green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- ¼ cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
Topping:
- Small handful of pine nuts
- ¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan
Instructions
- Add the vegetable broth to a large pot and bring it to the boil.
- Add the sliced potatoes and cook for 3 minutes.
- Next add the dry pasta to the pot and cook for a further 7 minutes.
- Add the green beans to the pot and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Drain the broth from the pot and set aside while you make the pesto.
- Add the pesto to the pot and mix well so that the potatoes, pasta and green beans are evenly coated. If you think you need more, add more!
- Top with the extra pine nuts and Parmesan and serve immediately.
