Pesto has become a staple, especially in late summer when basil is best. But pasta with pesto does have its limits; it’s simply not substantial enough to serve as a main course. The Genoese, originators of pesto, figured this out centuries ago, when they created this dish, which augments the pesto with chunks of potatoes and chopped green beans, making it a more complex, more filling, and more interesting dish. Recreating this classic dish is straightforward and easy. Note that if you start the potatoes and pasta simultaneously, then add the green beans about halfway through cooking, they will all be finished at the same time and can be drained and tossed with the sauce in a snap. This technique may sound imprecise, but it works.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 to 6 servings

　　Salt

　　2 cups fresh basil leaves

　　2 garlic cloves, peeled

　　1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano or other hard sheep’s milk cheese, or Parmigiano-Reggiano

　　1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or more

　　2 tablespoons pine nuts

　　2 medium potatoes (about 1/2 pound), preferably waxy boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

　　1 pound trenette or linguine

　　1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Combine the basil, garlic, salt to taste, and cheese in a blender or food processor; pulse until roughly chopped. Add the olive oil in a steady stream and continue to blend until the mixture is fairly creamy, adding a little more olive oil or some water if necessary. Add the pine nuts and pulse a few times to chop them into the sauce.

　　

Step 2

Add the potatoes to the boiling water and stir; then add the pasta and cook as usual, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes in all. When the pasta is about half done—the strands will bend but will not yet be tender—add the beans.

　　

Step 3

When the pasta is done, the potatoes and beans should be tender. Drain the pasta and vegetables, toss with the pesto and more salt or olive oil if you like, and serve.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.