STEP BY STEP PHOTOS ABOVE!Have a look at my step-by-step photo instructions, variations and tips. That way, you can get it perfect the first time you try it!
Trofie al Pesto
Trofie al pesto is one of the many Italian pasta dishes known all over the world. It's one of the most famous dish of traditional Ligurian cuisine, made with basil pesto and trofie pasta.You can make Trofie with Pesto with very few ingredients: basil, pine nuts, cheese, garlic and - obviously - trofie. In this recipe we are going to show you step by step how to make authentic Genovese pesto to dress trofie cooked al dente. Trofie are the most classic pasta to eat with Italian basil pesto.
Ingredients
For Genovese Pesto
- 50 g basil - about 60/65 leaves
- ½ cup olive oil - extra virgin
- 70 g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese - ⅔ cup
- 30 g Pecorino cheese - ⅓ cup, Pecorino Fiore Sardo cheese
- 1 clove garlic - peeled
- 15 g pine nuts - 1 tablespoon
- 4-5 grains salt - coarse
- ice
For Homemade Trofie Pasta
- 400 g semolina flour - 2 ⅓ cups
- 200 ml water - ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
Instructions
RECIPE FOR FRESH BASIL PESTO
- For this recipe you need a food processor. So wash the basil leaves with cold water then place them in a large bowl with plenty of ice for 3-4 minutes. Now dry the leaves very well. Place them into the food processor with the garlic, pine nuts and grated Parmigiano.
- Chop the ingredients coarsely for a few seconds then add coarse salt and Pecorino cheese. Blend all the ingredients for about 1 minute.
- Add extra virgin olive oil. Blend for about 5 minutes, until you'll get a creamy green pesto sauce
HOMEMADE TROFIE PASTA
- Place the flour on your work surface. Then make a hole in the center. Add the fine salt and pour the water, a little at a time, in order to use what is needed to make an elastic and homogeneous mixture.
- Knead with your hands vigorously for 5-10 minutes. The dough must be compact and must not stick to your hands. Then form a loaf and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes covered with a cotton cloth.
- Then remove a few pieces of dough and make very small balls, as big as a hazelnut. Roll the dough balls under the palm of your hand on the pastry board. The movement must take place obliquely or diagonally and not in a straight line. This will give the Trofie the classic twisted shape.
- Boil plenty of salted water in a large pot.
- When the water boils, turn down the heat and slowly pour in the trofie, a few at a time. If you bought trofie pasta, cook them following the cooking times described on the packaging.
- If you are using fresh homemade trofie, they usually take between 5 to 7 minutes to cook. However, after the first ⅔ minutes, it's better to taste the pasta in order to drain trofie when they are al dente (not too cooked to be soft and sticky nor too raw to be hard and crunchy).
- If your pesto is too thick, don't worry. Pour it into a little bowl and dilute it with 1 or 2 tablespoons of cooking water. This way you'll have a warmed homogeneous soft pesto sauce ready to dress your Trofie al Pesto!
Notes
If you prefer, you can do the pesto sauce 2 or 3 days ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator in a glass jar or airtight food container. Cover it with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to keep it fresh and green.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 726kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 22gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 956mgPotassium: 271mgFiber: 4gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 828IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 330mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @recipesfromitaly or tag #recipesfromitaly!