Well, I finally did it. After more than 14 months, I ate inside a restaurant – Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen on May 22, if you’re curious. It was a little nerve-wracking (especially since I’m not yet fully vaccinated) but also very refreshing to be out and about and in the company of others. And, fortunately, the food was good!
We ordered an assortment of starters and entrées for the table to share: chicken satay, martabak, potato cakes, roti pratha, beef rendang, laksa and Singaporean curry noodles. The flaky flatbread served with curry dipping sauce was a standout, in my opinion. (Three new destinations down, 29 to go.)
Naturally, I whipped up a simple dish – pasta, green beans and potatoes with pesto – to enjoy in the comfort of my own home the following day. Like Italian pasta salad, it can be prepared as quickly as you can boil water. One bite of pasta, green beans and potatoes with pesto and I’m transported back to Cinque Terre, where I first tasted the real deal.
Recipe adapted from The New York Times.
- 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil, plus more for finish
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- 3 small red potatoes, cut into ¾" pieces
- 2 cups green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1½" pieces
- 8 ounces fusilli or other short pasta
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- In a food processor, pulse the basil, walnuts, garlic and salt until finely ground. Add olive oil and purée until smooth. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pulse until combined. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add green beans and cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove green beans from water and place in a medium bowl.
- Add pasta to pot with potatoes and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid.
- Add pesto and prepared green beans to pasta and potatoes and toss to coat. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid if pasta seems dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and top with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
