3 Veggie Penne With Tarragon-Basil Pesto (Rachael Ray)

Submitted by Queen of Harts

"This is a recipe by Rachel Ray that I made for dinner. I love pesto, and this one turns out nice. I used the regular green beans available at my grocery store."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 lb penne rigate (with lines)
• salt
• 1⁄2 lb asparagus, trimmed of tough ends
• 1 small zucchini
• 1⁄4 lb french French haricots vert (thin green beans)
• 1⁄4 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup fresh basil, 20 leaves
• 1⁄2 cup tarragon leaf, from 10 to 12 stems
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 lemon, zest of
• 1 garlic clove
• 1⁄2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese, to pass at table
• fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil, eyeball it

directions

1. Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente or, with a bite to it.
2. Cut asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Cut zucchini into matchstick shapes. Cut haricots verts or green beans into 2-inch pieces on an angle.
3. Add vegetables to pasta after penne has been cooking about 5 minutes. Cook veggies and pasta together 2 minutes.
4. While pasta cooks, toast pine nuts in a small pan until golden, then cool.
5. Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms.
6. Scrape pesto into large, shallow serving dish. Add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto.
7. Drain penne and veggies and add immediately to pesto. Toss to coat pasta and vegetables evenly. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste.
8. Serve with extra grated cheese to pass at table.

Reviews

[rosslare]

Lovely tarragon lemon basil pesto which goes fantastically well with the asparagus in the recipe.