Pasta alla Genovese with Flageolet

We teamed up with Pastificio Boulder to bring you an easy, delicious dish that drives home the idea that simplicity reigns when using ingredients sourced for flavor and impact. We love the tradizionalissima pasta alla Genovese – a vibrant green pasta dish made with long noodles, pesto, potato, and green beans that's perfect for spring. Our version showcases all the goodness of the classic dish, but with a twist – featuring Primary Beans' mint-hued Flageolet and Pastificio Boulder's Heirloom Wheat Fusilli. The Flageolet adds a satisfying heartiness and the Fusilli is the ideal pasta shape for holding onto the delicious sauce.

Featured bean: Flageolet

Take 'em from dried to cooked with our guide! 

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What you’ll need

• 1 cup cooked Flageolet beans (take 'em from dried to cooked with our guide)
• 1 lb high quality Fusilli, such as Pastificio Boulder's Heirloom Wheat Fusilli
• ¾ lb medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in ¼-inch cubes
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for seasoning
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

Bring 4 quarts of water and plenty of salt to a boil. Cook potatoes until tender and remove with a spider skimmer. Return water to boil.

Make the pesto: In a food processor, add olive oil and garlic and process until smooth. Add basil leaves ½ cup at a time. If the mixture doesn't blend well, add extra olive oil. Process until basil is shredded finely and combined. Add pine nuts and process very briefly, until pine nuts are broken into small pieces (do not over process). Place mixture in a large bowl, add cheese and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to combine. Spread the pesto in the interior of the bowl so it's spread everywhere – bottom, interior, sides.

Cook pasta as per pasta box instructions.

Once pasta is al dente, transfer it with spider skimmer to the bowl. Gently combine fusilli and pesto with a rubber spatula. If pesto is too thick, add a small amount of pasta water, a spoonful at a time. Sprinkle more Parmigiano Reggiano to taste. Add cooked beans and potatoes and gently combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Claudia Bouvier, co-founder of Pastificio Boulder.