Trofie al Pesto Genovese
Tags: #italian #pasta #ligurian #vegetarian #classic
Serving: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Handmade Ligurian basil pesto coats twisted trofie with tender potatoes and green beans for a quintessential Genovese pasta.
Ingredients
- 400 g trofie pasta
- 200 g waxy potatoes, peeled and diced 1.5 cm
- 150 g green beans, trimmed and cut 4–5 cm
- 60 g basil leaves
- 30 g pine nuts
- 5 g garlic clove, peeled
- 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- 20 g Pecorino Sardo, finely grated
- 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
- 1–2 g fine sea salt, for pesto
- 4000 ml water
- 40 g coarse sea salt, for boiling
Steps
- Fill a large pot with 4000 ml water.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Rinse the basil leaves under cold water.
- Dry the basil leaves thoroughly.
- Place the garlic in a mortar.
- Pound the garlic with a pinch of fine sea salt to a paste.
- Add the pine nuts to the mortar.
- Crush the pine nuts to a smooth paste.
- Add one-third of the basil leaves to the mortar.
- Pound the basil to a vivid green paste.
- Add another third of the basil leaves.
- Pound the basil to incorporate.
- Add the remaining basil leaves.
- Pound the basil to a fine, uniform paste.
- Drizzle in half of the olive oil while stirring to loosen the pesto.
- Stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Stir in the Pecorino Sardo.
- Stir in the remaining olive oil to reach a creamy, spoonable consistency.
- Taste the pesto.
- Season the pesto with 1–2 g fine sea salt to balance.
- Add the coarse sea salt to the boiling water.
- Add the diced potatoes to the pot.
- Boil the potatoes for 3 minutes.
- Add the green beans to the pot.
- Boil the potatoes and green beans for 3 minutes.
- Add the trofie to the pot.
- Cook the trofie until al dente.
- Reserve 150 ml of the pasta cooking water.
- Drain the trofie, potatoes, and green beans.
- Transfer the pesto to a large mixing bowl.