1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

6 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

6 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup pine nuts -- toasted

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 medium russet potatoes -- peeled cut into

-- 1/2-inch cubes 6 ounces green beans -- trimmed cut into

-- 3-inch lengths 1 pound trenette pasta -- or linguine

freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Finely grind basil, oil, 6 tablespoons each Romano and Parmesan cheeses, toaste d pine nuts and minced garlic in processor. Season pesto to taste with salt an d pepper. (Pesto can be prepared 2 days ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surfac e of pesto and refrigerate.)

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 m inutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to large bowl. Add green beans to same pot and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon , transfer to bowl with potatoes. Cook pasta in same pot until tender but stil l firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Transfer pasta to bo wl with potatoes and green beans.

Whisk reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid into pesto. Add pesto to pasta mixture a nd toss thoroughly to coat. Transfer pasta to large platter. Serve, passing a dditional Pecorino Romano separately.

Notes: Basil is one of the favorite ingredients of the Italian region of Liguri a, and there is no place in the world where it is more fragrant or put to such delicious use. It's the basis of the classic Genoese sauce, pesto, in which it is partnered with garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan and Pecorino Roma no cheeses. It shows up most typically floating atop minestrone, drizzled over potato gnocchi, or - as here - tossed with trenette (the local ribbon pasta), potatoes and green beans.

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