Three-vegetable Penne With Tarragon-basil Pesto

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• salt
• 1 lb penne rigate
• 1/2 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/4 lb french haricots vert, stem ends trimmed (or regular green beans)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fresh tarragon
• 2 -3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, zest of
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• coarse black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Recipe

• 1 bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt the water, than add in the pasta; cook to al dente.
• 2 cut the asparagus spears on an angle into 2-inch pieces; cut the zucchini into matchsticks.
• 3 cut the haricots verts on an angle into 2-inch pieces.
• 4 add the vegetables to the pot with the pasta after the penne has been cooking for about 5 minutes; boil the veggies and pasta together for 2 minutes.
• 5 while the pasta is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet until golden, then cool.
• 6 place the nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, ½ cup of cheese and a little salt and pepper in a food processor.
• 7 turn the processor on and stream in the olive oil until a thick sauce forms.
• 8 scraped the pesto into a large shallow serving dish; add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water into the pesto.
• 9 drain penne and veggies; then immediately add them to the pesto.
• 10 toss to coat the pasta and vegetables evenly.
• 11 season to taste w/ salt and pepper.
• 12 serve with extra grated cheese, if desired.