Welcome to the Pastastrology series: an absolutely unofficial series where I tell you what Marcella Hazan pasta recipe your sign is based on my unqualified but very confident general sense of things.
First up is Aries: a Penne Pesto with the full Genoese treatment.
Marcella says, “when all its components are right, there is no single dish more delicious in the entire Italian pasta repertory,” and isn’t that just something an Aries would say? “Here, taste this. You’ll love it. Just trust. I’m right.” And of course, they are.
Also, Aries babes are pioneers—they're the ones you call on to boldly go where none have gone before. And this recipe puts ever-loving butter in the pesto sauce. Can you even? If that's not pioneering, don't talk to me.
However, for as much as Mama Marcella (Mamarcella) extols the importance of getting each component correct, this recipe is a little light on the advice for how exactly to do that... "boil the potatoes with skin on and peel them when they’re done." Lol, what? When is that? How do I know? Part of me thinks this pithiness is badass and forces the cook to BE PRESENT and PAY ATTENTION (+1) and the other part of me finds it inaccessible and a bit unfriendly to hesitant home cooks.
Below you'll find her original recipe with my notes, updates, and other marginalia.
Penne Pesto Genoese with Potatoes & Green Beans
serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Pesto
2 cups tightly packed basil leaves (about 50g)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff! #InaGarten)
2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane, or finely chopped
3 tbsp pine nuts (I have always used pistachios for pesto and actually love them for this dish. Why? #1 GREEEEEN! Delicious! #2 I'm a girl on a budget. I'm not here for that $26/lb pinenut lifestyle.)
Salt, to taste, but don't be shy.
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tbsp pecorino romano(Idk about you but I never have both of these chee$es at home at the same time so I omitted it and felt great about myself. If you have only Pecorino, use it! If you have the Parm, use that. If you're a real cheese queen, use both and let us know in the comments how much better than the rest of us you are. The point is to make this great dish work for you. You don't work for it! If you choose good, real cheese, this dish will be *chef's kiss* so free yourself from stuffy cheese snob tyranny!)3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. (Shocked?? I know! Same! How do you like this pesto plot twist!?!?!?!)
Pasta and Pesto with Potatoes and Green Beans
1/2 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved, quartered if large
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
12 oz pasta (Mamarcella tells us spaghetti or fettuccini is correct for this dish and if that feels right to you, bless. I prefer a penne here. It makes more sense to me with the beans and potatoes. Also if Aries was a pasta it would be pene. It doesn't beat around the bush. It is cheerful, confident, and uncomplicated in its approach to your mouth.)
1 batch Pesto (recipe below)
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Do the pesto. Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water (my basil bunch had roots and a lot of sand so gotta get that nonsense out of there!) , and gently pat dry or run it through the salad spinner. Combine basil, olive oil, nuts, grated garlic, and a voluptuous pinch of salt in a blender or food processor and process to a uniform, creamy consistency, stopping as needed to push down basil.
Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cheese(s??) by hand. When the cheese has been evenly amalgamated (Bless you Mamarcella for using amalgamated) with other ingredients, mix in the softened butter. Transfer pesto to a large bowl.
Step 2
Bring a saucepan of pompously salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are fork tender, 10–15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer potatoes to a colander and let cool (save pot of water for cooking beans and pasta). Mamarcella tells us to peel the potatoes but I just couldn't be bothered, and you don't need to be either. When the potatoes are itty bitty, its NBD.
Step 3
Set up a bowl with ice water big enough for your green beans. Return that salty starchy saucepan water to a boil and add green beans. Blanche the beans for 60 seconds and using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the green beans to the ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve that vibrant, verdant color!
Step 4
Return pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions, stirring occasionally, until al dente-- 10ish minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer pasta to a pesto bowl and add potatoes, green beans, pesto, and a few tablespoons of pasta cooking liquid. Stir to combine and coat everything with your lush, luxurious sauce.
Divide pasta among bowls, and serve immediately, topped with more Parmesan and a few grinds of pepper.
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