Italian cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Trofie al Pesto Genovese

Ligurian twisted pasta with mortar-made basil pesto, tossed with potatoes and green beans cooked in the same pot.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 400 g trofie (or substitute short twisted pasta)
• 2 bunches basil
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 60 g parmesan
• 40 g pecorino
• 2 cloves garlic
• 120 ml olive oil
• 300 g waxy potatoes
• 150 g green beans
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pick the basil leaves, rinse briefly in cold water and pat very carefully dry; peel the potatoes and cut into 1 cm thick slices, trim the beans and halve them.
2. Grind the garlic with a pinch of coarse salt in a mortar to a paste, add the pine nuts and keep grinding until smooth.
3. Work in the basil gradually, grinding in circular motions against the mortar wall rather than pounding – this keeps the green vivid; then slowly stir in the finely grated parmesan and pecorino and the olive oil.
4. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil, parboil the potato slices for 5 min., then add the beans and trofie and cook everything together for 8–10 min. until al dente.
5. Scoop out a cup of pasta water and stir 4 tbsp of it into the pesto in a warmed bowl so it doesn't seize from the heat.
6. Drain the pasta, potatoes and beans, fold them immediately into the pesto, season with pepper and serve without further heating.