Ligurian Pesto Pasta Recipe
Prep Time:
35 minutes
Cook Time:
12 minutes
Servings:
4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch packed basil (about 60 leaves)
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into small pieces
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 pinch coarse salt
  • ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese (ideally pecorino sardo)
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 small Russet potatoes (½ pound maximum)
  • ¼ pound green beans
  • 11 ounces dried trofie (or other short twisted pasta)
Directions
  1. Wash the basil leaves and dry them carefully with a cloth.
  2. Place the garlic and pine nuts in a mortar and grind them with a pestle until finely ground. Move the pestle in a circular motion against the walls of the mortar rather than pounding the ingredients on the bottom.
  3. Add the basil and salt. Continue to grind the mixture in a similar manner until it turns into a paste.
  4. Add both grated cheeses and mix with the pestle, using the same circular method, until the mixture is uniform.
  5. Slowly pour the olive oil into the basil mixture while stirring continuously with a spoon until well mixed. Set aside.
  6. Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes no more than ¾ inch. Wash the green beans, cut off the stem ends, and cut in half.
  7. Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes.
  8. After 2 minutes, add the green beans and the trofie. Stir so the pasta doesn't stick to the pan. Boil for 10 more minutes or until the pasta is al dente. (The potatoes boil for 12 minutes and the green beans for 10, so if you use a different kind of pasta, read the package directions and adjust the time you add the pasta accordingly.)
  9. When the pasta is almost done, remove about ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water from the pot and set it aside.
  10. Drain the pasta and vegetables and return them to the now empty pot. Add the pesto and gently mix everything together with a wooden spoon. Add as much of the reserved cooking water as you need to help coat the pasta evenly with the pesto.
  11. Serve immediately, garnishing with additional basil leaves if desired.