CRUISE RECIPE: Princess Cruises’ Linguini Al Pesto Alla Moda Ligure

Hungry to Sail Again

Admit it.  After a few nights of filet of beef Wellington, butter-dipped lobster tail, foie gras and maybe even caviar, we start to yearn for a steaming bowl of pasta.

And if you’re aboard Princess Cruises, you’re in luck!

In Princess Cruises’ Linguini al Pesto Alla Moda Ligure, humble ingredients combine to produce an extraordinary dish that will help you cope with the temporary closure of your favorite Italian restaurant during this pandemic.  And if you can’t find pine nuts in your pantry or the local market, substitute walnuts as I do. Mangia!

Ingredients:

1 lb. red bliss potatoes

½ lb. fresh green beans

1 ½ lbs. dried linguine

Pesto:

3 cups basil leaves

4 large garlic cloves

½ cup pine nuts

1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil

1 ¼ cups Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt & pepper

Garnish:  fresh basil, ½ cup pine nuts

Directions:

In blender, puree the basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil until a smooth paste is formed.  Do not overblend.  Transfer to a bowl, mix in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Place the red bliss potatoes in two quarts of cold, salted water and bring to a boil.  Continue to boil until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart.  Remove from water, slice and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, blanch the green beans in two quarts of salted boiling water for approximately 6 minutes or until tender but still crisp.  If the beans will not be served immediately, chill them in ice water to prevent overcooking.

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil and boil the pasta until al dente, approximately 9 minutes.

In a large saute pan, combine the cooked pasta, potato slices, green beans and a generous amount of pesto to coat well.  Heat thoroughly and adjust the seasonings.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toast the nuts for garnishing by placing them in the oven and cooking until light brown, turning often.

Serve the pasta with the potatoes and bean in a large bowl or plate.  Garnish with toasted whole pine nuts, fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.

-Judi Cuervo

Judi Cuervo is a New York City native who fell in love with cruising in 1976 during her first sailing aboard Carnival Cruises’ Mardi Gras. Twenty years later, she began her freelance cruise writing gig and, since that time, has covered mass market, ultra-premium, riverboat and expedition ships for regional, national and international publications as well as cruise websites.