1 Video | Photo: Three Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne rigate (with lines) pasta
- Salt
- 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends
- 1 small zucchini
- 1/4 pound, haricots verts (thin green beans) trimmed of stem ends
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup basil, 20 leaves
- 1/2 cup tarragon leaves from 10 to 12 stems
- Handful flat-leaf parsley
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to pass at table
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
Directions
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. 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. Add vegetables to pasta after penne has been cooking about 5 minutes. Cook veggies and pasta together 2 minutes.
While pasta cooks, toast pine nuts in a small pan until golden, then cool. 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.
Scrape pesto into large, shallow serving dish. Add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto. Drain penne and veggies and add immediately to pesto. Toss to coat pasta and vegetables evenly. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with extra grated cheese to pass at table.
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By KendallToledo
on February 12, 2013
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Really delicious and filling. I didn't have fresh tarragon either, so I used just over a tablespoon, since I was making this for two only. There is no fresh tarragon where we live, and by some sort of miracle there was actually some fresh basil! The lemon zest gave it a nice lively taste.
By mr1214spot_9126759
Las Vegas, NV
on December 04, 2012
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Delicious! I felt like I was eating at an italian restaurant. Was the first time I ever made pesto and I cook a lot. This recipe is really flexible. I made a few changes as did many of you who reviewed it. Used walnuts rather than pinenuts (since they are expensive, added an extra clove of garlic, used only zucchini, used the blender rather than the food processor, used dried tarragon rather than fresh ( prob about a teaspoon which I'm glad since many of you said the tarragon taste was too prevalent, and tri colored rotini since that is what I had on hand. Excellent! I ALMOST didn't even miss the meat (probably would have used chicken. Thanks Rachael and to all of you who reviewed this recipe. The reviews really help quite a bit.
By mrose32271_10923246
Westfield, MA
on July 03, 2011
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This dish was delicious. I sauted the veggies and added crushed red pepper to the veg. The leftovers I used the next day and added some grilled cherry tomatoes for a different dish. Yummy!
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