Ingredients
1 pound penne rigate or whole wheat penne rigate 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 (10-12 stems)
A handful flat leaf parsley
1 lemon, zested
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more to pass at table
Coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Directions
Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente, with a bite to it. Cut asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Cut zucchini into matchstick shapes. Cut haricots verts 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, Parmigiano Reggiano and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the EVOO (eyeball it), until thick sauce forms.
Scrape pesto into a 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 Parmigiano Reggiano to pass at table.