I love to try to incorporate as many vegetables as possible into my meals – after all, how many of us actually get the recommended dose of veggies at each meal? So when I found out about National Linguine Day, I decided to find some linguine + vegetable recipes, and also try pairing wine with them.
Well, I found 2 great recipes – super easy version and look-like-a-chef version – plus 1 great wine to go with them both. Both recipes use one of my favorite vegetables, artichoke, which is a difficult food to pair with wine, but what wine goes with artichoke, pesto, green beans and lemon? I found the winning varietal…read below to find out!
Super Easy Version: Pesto Linguine with Green Beans & Artichoke Hearts
Recipe by Buitoni
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- 1 package (9 ounces) Linguine
- 1 1/4 cups fresh green beans, cut in half
- 1 container (7 ounces) Pesto with Basil
- 3/4 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh basil sprigs (optional)
Directions:
- 1 package Refrigerated Linguine (9 oz.)
- 1¼ cups fresh green beans
- 1 container Refrigerated Pesto with Basil (7 oz.)
- ¾ cup artichoke hearts
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (5 oz.)
- Fresh basil sprigs
- PREPARE pasta according to package directions, cooking green beans with pasta; drain. Transfer pasta and beans to large serving bowl; toss with pesto, artichoke hearts and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with basil.
Look-Like-a-Chef Version: Linguine with Lemon and Grilled Baby Artichokes
Recipe by Buitoni
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- 1 1/2 cups fresh, frozen or canned baby artichokes or artichoke hearts, tossed in 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 package (9 ounces) Linguine
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper
- shredded Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
PREHEAT grill.
GRILL artichokes over medium heat until lightly browned. Alternatively, place on baking sheet, cut-side-up and position 6 inches from broiler. Broil for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned.
BRING water to a boil in large pot; add linguine. Cook for 1 minute. Drain, reserving ¼ cup cooking water.
HEAT oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute or until fragrant (the garlic should not brown). Stir in wine and cook for about 4 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add lemon juice, lemon peel, parsley, chives, tarragon, salt and pepper; cook for about 1 minute or until mixture is heated through.
ADD cooked linguine to skillet along with reserved cooking water and Parmesan cheese. Toss gently to coat. Toss in artichoke hearts. Serve immediately with additional extra virgin olive oil and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Wine Pairing: Verdicchio
You need a wine with high acidity to pair with artichokes and something from Italy to match the food style. And a white wine since it’s a late summer dinner, pretty light with green vegetables and plenty of freshness. A Verdicchio is perfect for this! It’s crisp and snappy, matching the acidity of the artichokes and lemon, and creating some summer sizzle in your mouth. A last hurrah to the sun.
I find it so difficult to photograph pasta, this dish looks absolutely fabulous.