Whenever I visit my friends in San Michele, Italy,  Gloria makes me this pasta dish and I love it.  Adis Pasalic and I used to get a similar version of it at a restaurant in Zenica, Bosnia.   Today I saw the new potatoes and green beans at the market and decided to indulge.  

This is not really a recipe, but an ad hoc version of how to make Pasta Genovese that is close to what Gloria taught me.   It is delicious and very easy.

Ingredients: (I dont measure, use what you think you need)

Potatoes (sliced in 1 inch cubes or thereabouts)

Green Beans

Pasta ( Tagliatele is the traditional pasta for this dish but I usually use penne)

Pesto (you can make your own or buy a jar)

Pine nuts, lightly toasted

 Method:

Put a big pot of water with some salt in it on the stove to get boiling. While the water is coming to a boil you can cut up the potatoes into cubes, prepare the beans, and lightly roast the pine nuts under the broiler (watch them).

Throw (gently) the potatoes into the boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes.  Add the pasta and boil for about 9 minutes.  Add the beans (I cut them up into one inch pieces with a scissors into the water). Boil for another 2-3 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked and the pasta is al dente. 

Drain.    Add the pesto and pine nuts and mix.  Add salt to taste.

Sprinkle with some good quality Parmesan cheese.

This is so easy and tastes so good!

ADDENDUM:  I had this with a glass of OPEN  Cab2-Merlot  VQA wine from the Niagara Peninsula.  Generally I don’t like Ontario Red wines but this one is really good and has drawn me from California Cabs.  $12.95 at the LCBO or Wine Rack (where you can get a case at $10.95 a bottle!)