A perfect vegetarian dish, Pasta al Pesto Genovese is a dish containing fresh pesto sauce, pecorino cheese, green beans, potatoes, and your favorite pasta! Typical of Genoa, a medieval maritime merchant republic, pesto sauce became popular because of the introduction of basil and pine nuts from Eastern countries to Italy. The addition of potatoes and green beans, a Genovese tradition, is called “avvantaggiata” – which means “with something extra”.