One of the joys of summer is growing my own basil – which means that fresh Pesto Genovese is always an option for dinner. My favorite way to turn pesto into a full-blown meal worthy of company is to add cubed Yukon Gold potatoes, stringless green beans, and oven roasted tomatoes, before topping my finished penne pasta with luscious, creamy basil burrata from my friend, Zack Gadberry, cheesemaker extraordinaire at UAV.
Although this meal can be made in roughly 30-40 minutes, timing is crucial so that you don’t overcook your potatoes and green beans. Here’s the plan . . .
In the late afternoon, once your basil plants are no longer in direct sun, go outside and give your basil plants a quick shower with your hose to knock off any bugs.
When you pick your basil 30-60 minutes later, your basil should be clean and dry – which eliminates the need to wash it again. Don’t worry if you’re short on time and a few leaves are still a little damp – a quick spin in your salad spinner is all you need.
Cut two pints of cherry or grape tomatoes in half, toss with basil-garlic olive oil, and bake in a 400 F oven while everything else is cooking on your cooktop.
Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat while your pot of pasta water is heating and you’re prepping the Yukon Gold potatoes and green beans. Keep an eye on the pine nuts to make sure they don’t burn! When they are just barely golden, set them aside to cool. Measure out 1/2 cup of the toasted pine nuts, and leave the rest in the small skillet.
Take the burrata out of the fridge so that it is at room temperature.
Once my pot of water is at a roiling boil, I add two tablespoons of salt, and put the cubed potatoes in the metal steamer insert. Depending on the size of my potato cubes, I steam the cubed potatoes for about 6-7 minutes. The trick is to make sure the cubed potatoes are just barely tender, but not falling apart, so start checking at about five minutes to gauge how much more time they may need. Remove the steamer insert with the potatoes and place the potatoes in your colander. Cover the potatoes with a layer of ice to stop the cooking. Bring your water back to a boil, and add the penne. Since the penne will take about 12-13 minutes (check your package directions), I set the timer for about seven minutes before adding the green beans, and setting the timer for another 4-5 minutes. Make sure to use thin, tender stringless green beans (like the delicious ones I got from A Way of Life Farm) or you will need to add the green beans at the same time as the pasta because larger, less tender beans will take longer to cook. (Another alternative is to cook tougher beans at the same time as the potatoes.)
While the green beans and penne are cooking, put your basil leaves in the food processor, along with the pressed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts, and a pinch of salt. Pulse it 5-6 times and scrap down the sides of the food processor. Begin drizzling in the olive oil. Stop every few pulses, scrap down the sides of the food processor. Continue blending until the pesto is smooth.
Remove the tomatoes that have been roasting in the oven and let the sheet pan cool on a wire rack. Check both the penne and green beans to make sure they are done to your liking, and remove a cup of water from the pasta pot. Dump the steaming contents of the pasta pot onto the potatoes in the colander, and quickly put everything back in the still very hot pasta pot. Add the pesto, unsalted butter, parmesan and begin stirring, adding some of the pasta water so that the pesto coats the penne like silk. Add the roasted tomatoes and the balance of the toasted pine nuts, and apportion the pasta into serving bowls.
Here’s how your pasta will look before you add the burrata.
Although I love it this way, I couldn’t resist gilding the lily with a healthy dollop of UAV’s creamy basil burrata and some freshly ground black pepper. Although one ball of burrata will theoretically work for up to four servings, if you love burrata as much as my hubby and I do, you may want to spring for at least two balls of burrata for four to six people!
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half and tossed with a few tablespoons basil-garlic olive oil
- ¾ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (divided use)
- 1 large Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed (or peeled) and cubed
- ½ lb. stringless green beans, stem tips removed and cut into two-inch lengths
- 12 ounces penne
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3–4 garlic cloves, pressed
- Sea salt
- About ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 balls UAV basil burrata, drained
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Line a sheet pan with non-stick aluminum foil or a silicone liner for easy clean up. Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half, toss with basil-garlic olive oil, and bake in a 400 F oven while everything else is cooking on your cooktop.
- Take the burrata out of the fridge so that it is at room temperature.
- Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat while your pot of pasta water is heating and you're prepping the Yukon Gold potatoes and green beans. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn! When they are just barely golden, set them aside to cool. Measure out ½ cup, and leave the rest in the small skillet.
- Once the pot of water is at a roiling boil, add two tablespoons of salt, and put the cubed potatoes in the metal steamer insert. Depending on the size of my potato cubes, I steam the potatoes for about 6-7 minutes. When the potatoes are tender, but not falling apart, remove the steamer insert with the potatoes and place the potatoes in your colander. Cover with some ice to stop the cooking.
- Bring the water back to a roilling boil, and add the penne. Since the penne will take about 12-13 minutes (check your package directions), set the timer for about 7minutes before adding the green beans. Set the timer for another 4-5 minutes.
- While the green beans and penne are cooking, put basil leaves in the food processor, along with the pressed garlic cloves, ½ cup of pine nuts and a pinch of salt. Pulse 5-6 times and scrap down the sides.
- Drizzle in the olive oil and continue pulsing, stopping several times to scrap down the sides of the food processor until the pesto is well-blended and smooth.
- Remove the tomatoes that have been roasting in the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
- Check both the penne and green beans to make sure they are done to your liking, and remove a cup of water from the pasta pot.
- Carefully dump the contents of the pasta pot onto the cooled potatoes in the colander, and quickly put everything back in the still very hot pasta pot.
- Add the pesto, unsalted butter, parmesan and begin stirring, adding some of the pasta water so that the pesto coats the penne like silk.
- Add the roasted tomatoes and the balance of the toasted pine nuts, and divide into serving bowls.
- Top each portion with a dollop of the basil burrata, followed by freshly grated black pepper.
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