Pesto Pasta Potatoes Recipes

Steps:

• Make pesto: In the bowl of food processor, add basil, pine nuts, salt and garlic. Pulse until mixture is coarse and grainy. With the motor running, add oil in slow, steady stream. Add cheese; process just enough to mix well. If sauce is too dry, add a little more oil. Taste; add more cheese or salt, if desired.
• Bring 6 quarts water to rolling boil. Add at least 2 tablespoons salt and the potato slices. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until potatoes have started to soften but are not cooked through. Add green beans, and continue boiling another 5 minutes.
• Add pasta, and stir. Start testing pasta at 5 minutes. When it is done, and when potatoes and beans are tender, drain and turn pasta and vegetables immediately into preheated bowl. Add pesto, and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• KIDS: the writing in bold is for you. GROWN-UPS: the rest is for you. Pick the basil for the pesto. Get your child to pick the basil leaves off the stalks. Ask them to look at and smell the leaves as you tell them the name of the herb until they remember it - try to do this with all herbs when you can.
• Make the pesto. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over a low heat. A child of seven years plus can stir the nuts in the pan. Tip into a mini chopper (or use a pestle and mortar) with the basil, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. Blitz or pound into a green sauce, then set aside.
• Chop up the beans. Using a child-friendly knife, get children from the age of five to chop the green beans into shorter lengths, and quarter the potatoes. Younger children can snap the beans into short lengths while you prepare the potatoes.
• Cook the vegetables and pasta. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and boil for 3 mins. Remove from the heat and ask the child to tip in the pasta and give it a stir. Put the pan back on the heat, boil the pasta for 5 mins, add the beans and cook for a final 3 mins.
• Mix everything together. Drain everything well and tip into a bowl. Spoon most of the pesto into the pasta and stir everything together to coat. Bring the large bowl of pasta to the table and serve with extra parmesan, more basil and remaining pesto, if you like.

Steps:

• Pesto:
• Cut the cooked asparagus spears into thirds. Put in a food processor with the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Keep in mind you will add Parmesan as well, so be careful not to oversalt. With the machine running, slowly add the cup of olive oil. When the sauce is about the consistency of mayonnaise, it has enough oil. Pulse in the Parmesan. Thin with water if necessary to achieve a slick, saucy pesto. Scrape into a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 3 cups. (Keeps about 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)
• Put the potatoes in a pan of salted cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool for a few minutes. If the potatoes are larger than about 1/2 inch in diameter, cut in half.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the potatoes and cook until browned and crispy all over, about 5 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Keep warm. Add basil, toss with potatoes and set aside.
• While the potatoes are browning, return the water used for cooking the asparagus, if reserved, to a boil or brint a new pot of water to a boil. Add more salt and the pasta and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain through a colander, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl, add the potatoes, about 1 cup of the asparagus pesto, several twists of pepper, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Toss well, thinning with the pasta cooking water as necessary.
• Dust with a light grating of Parmesan (a microplane grater works well for this) before serving and pass the remaining cheese and a bowl of pesto at the table.

Steps:

• If making fresh pasta, beat the eggs together in a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft, pliable dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Shape it into a ball, cover with a damp towel and let rest for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, place the garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of basil in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the remaining basil and process until chopped. Add the pine nuts, cheeses and olive oil and process until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
• Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Simmer over medium heat until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and blanch until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Divide the pasta dough in half and keep 1 piece wrapped in the towel. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the pasta dough into a 13-by-16-inch rectangle. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut across into 1-inch-wide strips. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fresh or dried pasta until al dente, about 5 minutes for the fresh or 10 to 12 minutes for dried. Drain well and place in a large bowl.
• Toss the pasta with the pesto and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss in the broccoli and potatoes. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and let cool, 5-7 minutes.
• Add garlic and grated Parmesan to food processor and pulse until finely ground, about 1 minute. Add basil and, with the motor running, add oil in a slow and steady stream; continue to process until pesto is mostly smooth with just a few flecks of green remaining, about 1 minute. Pulse in 1 tsp. salt.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Place pesto and butter in a large bowl. Add pasta and 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. Toss vigorously with tongs, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until pasta is glossy and well coated with sauce. Taste pasta and season with more salt if needed.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Top with shaved Parmesan.
• Do Ahead: Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Pour oil over to cover by 1/4" to prevent browning. Press plastic wrap directly against surface and chill.

Steps:

• Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to cutting board; return water to boil. Add broccoli; cook 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to large bowl; return water to boil. Add linguine and cook until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Cut potatoes into small chunks. Add potatoes, pasta, and pesto to broccoli and toss, adding reserved cooking water by tablespoonfuls to moisten if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Steps:

• Make the pesto by pureéing the basil through garlic in a blender or food processor; slowly add the 1/2 cup olive oil, blending until smooth.
• Heat the 1 Tbs oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the asparagus, beans and zucchini about 10 minutes, stirring often, until cooked but not limp.
• Add 1 cup of the pesto, stir thoroughly, and cook until heated thru.
• Toss the pasta with the pesto-vegetable mixture and serve.

Steps:

• For the pesto, put the basil and parsley in the food processor and process until minced.
• Keep the processor running and add the garlic and nuts.
• Process until finely chopped, then add the chicken broth, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, water, oil, salt and pepper and process until smooth.
• For the potatoes, brush 2 tablespoons oil in a baking dish.
• Arrange 2 cups of sliced potatoes in the bottom of baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
• Spread 3 tablespoons of basil mixture over potatoes and sprinkle 2 teaspoons parmesan cheese over as well.
• Cover with 2 cups of sliced potatoes, 3 tablespoons basil and 2 teaspoons cheese.
• Top with the remaining potatoes and season one last time with salt and pepper.
• Heat the chicken broth until hot.
• Pour over potatoes and use the remaining basil mixture and cheese over the top of the dish.
• Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 425F or 220 C for 45 minutes.
• Remove foil and cook for 15 minutes more.