Trofie al Pesto alla Genovese
Liguria in a mortar
Traditional Ligurian pesto genovese pounded with basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano and pecorino, tossed with trofie, potatoes and green beans.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 packed cups Genovese basil leaves
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ cup grated Pecorino Sardo
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 lb trofie or linguine
- 1 medium waxy potato, diced
- 6 oz green beans, cut in halves
Instructions
- 01
Pound the garlic and nuts. Crush the garlic and pine nuts with the coarse salt in a mortar until you have a smooth paste. A food processor works, but pulse cold and short.
- 02
Add the basil. Work the basil in a handful at a time, grinding against the sides of the mortar until it breaks down into a bright green cream.
- 03
Finish with cheese and oil. Stir in both cheeses, then drizzle in the olive oil until the sauce is loose and glossy. Never heat it.
- 04
Cook pasta with potato and beans. Boil the potato in salted water for 5 minutes, add the pasta, then add the green beans for the last 4 minutes so everything finishes together.
- 05
Toss off the heat. Drain, reserving a cup of water. Toss pasta and vegetables with the pesto in a warm bowl, loosening with pasta water until it coats every piece.
Larry’s rule: Pesto goes in the bowl, not the pan. Cook it and you've made an expensive green sauce that tastes like hay.