How To Make Trofie al Pesto Genovese

pine nuts

🥗Healthier: walnuts

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Walnuts provide a similar texture and flavor at a lower cost.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Grana padano is a less expensive cheese with a similar taste.

Bring about a gallon of water to boil in a large pot.

Once the water has come to a boil, add just under a tablespoon of Sicilian coarse sea salt.

Peel the Yukon Gold potatoes and cut them into sticks about the size of a French fry.

Trim the ends of the green beans and cut them into pieces about the same size as the potato sticks.

Add the trofie pasta and the potatoes to the boiling water at the same time.

Stir everything in the pot immediately and continue to stir about every 2 minutes while cooking.

After 10 minutes of cooking, add the green beans to the pot and stir well.

Gather about a cup of the pasta water in a cup about a minute before everything is done cooking.

Use about a tablespoon of this pasta water for the pesto to help it coat the pasta more evenly.

Drain everything into a colander once cooked.

Transfer everything to a large bowl and add the pesto, stirring carefully.

If the pasta seems a little dry, add a small amount of the pasta cooking water to keep the sauce creamy.

Garnish with a little bit of the parmesano and a few pine nuts before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens