Trofie al Pesto alla Genovese

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.