Linguine alla Genovese

ASK Italian (the Italian high street chain) has published an exclusive cookbook in collaboration with the Great Ormond Street Hospital to raise funds for the hospital.

The cookbook features the restaurant’s most popular dishes and anecdotes from their celebrity friends, including Dame Helen Mirren, Gino D’Campo and Claudia Winkleman. The book is filled with authentic Italian recipes to cook at home from hand-made pasta to perfect risottos and indulgent desserts.

The cookbook can be bought from book shops, online and in ASK restaurants. The RRP is £15, but if you buy it from one of the restaurants, the price is only £10 and £4 of that will go straight to the charity.

The aim is to raise £1 million for the hospital. Such a worthy cause!

It's a very appealing book. Lots of tasty Italian recipes teamed up with mouth-watering photos.



I made the Linguine alla Genovase, but a few other dishes caught my eye too.

• Rosemary & Sea Salt Bread
• Panino di Portobello (mushrooms, melted gruyere cheese, fresh thyme, rocket and tomato on rosemary & sea salt panino)
• Ravioli di Spinaci e Ricotta (spinach and ricotta ravioli coated in a spring sauce of peas and crème fraîche)
• Lasagne di Caprino, Spinaci e Funghi (goat's cheese, spinach and mushroom lasagne)
• Risotto Verde (green vegetable risotto with green beans, artichoke hearts, courgettes, garden peas, spinach and fresh herbs)
• Farro al Pomodoro (spelt in tomato sauce)
• Gnocchi alla Arrabbiata (potato gnocchi with spicy tomato sauce)
• Primo Pizza Caprina (prima pizza with goat's cheese)
• Torta al Limone (lemon tart with meringue)

Vegetarian Recipe Count 59 out of 100 (with a few more that could be adapted)
Vegan Recipe Count 25 out of 100 (with a few more that could be adapted)

The ASK Italian Cookbook

Format: Paperback

Pages:192

Publisher: Viking

ISBN: 978-0670922444

Published: 20 November 2012

I have tried the combination of pasta with green beans, potato and pesto before, but it's the little touches that made this version special. This version has a creamy sauce, the potatoes are pan-fried and the pasta it's served with is linguine. It totally changes the dish. It's a real comforting, mouth-happy dish.

For Graham's vegan serving, I whizzed up fresh herbs, with olive oil, a little garlic and pine nuts and tossed it through the pasta with some vegan cream and the vegetables.

print recipe

Linguine all Genovese

Written by Jacqueline Meldrum
with kind permission 

November 28, 2012

Linguine pasta coated in a creamy pesto sauce and studded with pan fried baby potatoes and green beans. A great family dish.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 400g charlotte potatoes, cooked and sliced when cool
• 200g green beans, blanced for 2 minutes in boiling water
• 125ml single cream
• 250ml water
• 200ml pesto
• 500g linguine
• a good grinding of salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for the pasta. 
2. Heat oil in a frying pan or wok. Add the sliced potatoes and cook for a few minutes until golden. Stir in the beans, cream water and pesto. Gently bring the sauce to the boil. Season, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. 
3. Cook the linguine according to the packet instructions until al dente, then drain. 
4. Pour the linguine into the sauce and cook for a couple of minutes.  
5. Serve and enjoy.

Details
Total time: 30 mins 

Yield: Serves 4

If you like this recipe why not try my Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Saucefor Spaghetti?



Disclosure: ASK Italian sent me a copy of the cookbook to review. I was not required to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.