Hat tip to What the hell does a vegan eat, anyway, for depicting a version of this dish and sending me on an internet quest for more information.
Turns out not much information is needed. This is a one-pot meal with potatoes, pasta, green beans, and pesto. I added olive tapenade and Gimme Lean snausage for extra flava.
Pasta Genovese
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 ounces of pasta (a short cut of pasta--I used farfalle)
A few handfuls of green beans (I used frozen)
As much pesto as you need--at least 3 tablespoons, I'd say
Tapenade if you have it, or some chopped kalamata olives
Gimme Lean sausage, or your favorite alternative
Bring a big pot of water to a boil and then salt it. Add potatoes and cook until tender but holding their shape. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
While this is going on, heat a bit of oil in a saute pan and add your veggie sausage in little plops and cook until nicely browned.
About 3 minutes before the pasta is scheduled to be done, add the green beans. If you're using frozen, add them a bit at a time, so you don't interfere with the water boiling.
When everything is done, drain in a fine colander, reserving some of the cooking water. I didn't actually need any, but it's a good thing to have on hand in case your pasta plus adornments seems a bit dry or sticky. Pour the pasta mixture into a bowl and stir in the pesto and olives/tapenade and sausage. If cheese is your thing, add some parmesan too. Salt (if needed) and pepper to taste and chow down.
I wanted to make something savory for tonight's gathering--again, without visiting the grocery store--so I whipped up this dippy-dip based on what I had on hand, which is really what The Makeshift Cook is all about.
Pesto Bean Dip
1 can white beans--I had soybeans, so that's what I used, mostly drained
1 bunch fresh basil (about 1/2 cup, super-packed), roughly chopped
1 small zucchini, grated
1 clove garlic, pressed/minced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
Fresh lemon juice and zest to taste
Salt and pepper ditto
Dump the beans and olive oil into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add other ingredients one at a time until incorporated. Feel free to add more olive oil or lemon juice as needed to get the texture you want. I used a blender, so I probably erred on the side of more liquid.
I swirled this together with the tail end of some delicious olive tapenade my sister brought me a few weeks ago (using up leftovers!!).
This stuff gives you the pesto flava without quite so much pesto fat, plus it has sneaky vegetables in it! Dip crackers, vegetables, pita chips, or your face into it.
BONUS: I used the leftovers as part of a pasta sauce. Leftovers in my house know who's boss.
