Trenette with Pesto

2 cups basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or more
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 medium potatoes (Yukon gold), about 225 grams peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
1 pound or 450 g trenette or linguine
1/2 pound string beans trimmed and cut into 2-cm lengths

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.

While waiting for the water to boil, combine the basil, garlic salt and cheese in a blender or food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add the olive oil in a steady stream. Blend until the mixture is creamy adding more olive oil and/or water as necessary. Add the pine nuts and pulse a few times to chop them into the sauce.

Add the potatoes to the boiling water and stir; then add the pasta and cook as usual stirring frequently, about 10 minutes at all. Note: if you use linguine or pasta made from from softer wheat, then it will cook faster, so you will want to put the potatoes in for a bit longer before adding the pasta.

When the pasta is half done - about 4 minutes for trenette made from hard wheat and for linguine the strands will bend but are not tender - add the string beans.

When the pasta is done, the potatoes and beans should be tender. Drain pasta and vegetables, toss with the pesto and more salt and olive oil if you wish.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Based on Mark Bittman's recipe as found in the Globe and Mail.