Food & Wine USA - (07)July 2020

42 JULY 2020

H

A

N

D

B

O

O

K Linguine with Frenched Green

Beans and Parsley Pesto

TOTAL 20 MIN; SERVES 6

8 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed and

cut into very thin strips (about 3

cups)

8 oz. uncooked linguine

2 cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf

parsley leaves

10 large fresh basil leaves

1 / 2 cup light-tasting olive oil or extra-

virgin olive oil

1 small garlic clove, trimmed

1 / 2 tsp. fine sea salt, plus more for

salting water

1 / 8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 oz. pecorino Romano cheese,

grated (about^1 / 2 cup), plus more for

serving

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
   over medium-high. Add green beans, and
   cook until just cooked through and ten-
   der, about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
   Using a spider, transfer beans to a colan-
   der, and set aside. Return water to a boil
   over medium-high, and add pasta. Cook,
   stirring often, until al dente, about 10 min-
   utes. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; pour
   pasta and remaining cooking liquid into
   colander over beans. (This will warm the
   beans if they have begun to cool.)


2. Combine parsley, basil, olive oil, garlic,
   salt, and cayenne in a food processor or
   blender, and pulse until pureed but still
   slightly chunky, 8 to 10 times. Transfer to
   a warmed serving bowl. Stir in pecorino
   Romano, and set aside.


3. Transfer pasta and beans to serving
   bowl with pesto, and toss to combine. Add
   some of the reserved cooking liquid, 1
   tablespoon at a time, to loosen pesto,
   ensuring pesto evenly coats pasta mix-
   ture. Serve immediately, passing extra
   pecorino Romano at the table.
   MAKE AHEAD Pesto can be made up to 3
   days in advance and stored in an airtight
   container in refrigerator.
   WINE Fresh, herbal Sauvignon Blanc:
   2018 Alphonse Mellot La Moussière
   Sancerre
   NOTE Regular green beans are thicker
   than French haricots verts, but haricots
   verts may be substituted.

“IN 1980, pesto was basically unknown,” recalls Johanne

Killeen, a member of the very first class of Best New Chefs

back in 1988. “The summer before we opened, we

contracted a farmer in Little Compton to grow a field of

basil for us. That’s how obscure it was—we had to make a

special arrangement for pesto.” In this recipe, pasta cooking

liquid thins fresh pesto into a sauce that clings to silky

ribbons of linguine and slivers of crisp-tender green beans.

JOHANNE KILLEEN

AL FORNO, PROVIDENCE

SAUCE INSURANCE

Place a measuring

cup in your colander as

a reminder to reserve

pasta cooking liquid for

the sauce before

draining the pasta.