If anyone who spent time in Liguria were asked to sum up their experience in a single dish, it would likely be trofie al pesto – or at the very least, pesto sauce with another kind of pasta, such as trenette or gnocchi.
For true Genoese pesto, locals swear by the PDO basil from Pra’, a district of Genoa. The leaves, which are curvy and small to medium in size, absorb the characteristics of the terroir, which manifests in the sauce. Delicate, extra-virgin olive oil from the Ligurian Riviera and garlic from Vessalico (Imperia) are also fundamental, as the latter is milder and easier to digest. Traditionalists always make their pesto in a mortar and pestle – if you don't have one, you just make it in a food processor.
Trofie is a short-rolled pasta that can be found in Liguria, particularly in and around Genoa, and it's almost always the pasta of choice for pesto. Our trofie al pesto recipe is below. We realize it might not be possible to source everything directly from Liguria, so use whatever you can get – the more local for you, the better – it will have its own taste that reflects its particular surroundings. And if you can't find trofie, just substitute it with whatever pasta your heart desires – linguine always goes well with the sauce.
Also, you can add green beans and potatoes to the recipe. Chop them up small and boil them with the pasta to serve alongside it in the pesto sauce.
Trofie al Pesto Recipe
Ingredients for 4 servings
Time 30 mins
12 oz./350 g fresh trofie
2 Tbsp./30 g grated grana cheese
4 tsp./20 g grated pecorino sardo cheese
1 Tbsp./12 g pine nuts
20-25 basil leaves
garlic
extra-virgin olive oil
cooking salt
For the pesto sauce:
Wash and dry the basil leaves. With a mortar and pestle crush some of the leaves, then gradually add more, and keep crushing – they're easier to crush this way instead of all at once.
Add the pine nuts a little at a time, then the slices of garlic and a pinch of cooking salt. Mash the ingredients until smooth.
Add the cheese and mix well.
Drizzle 1½ oz./40 g of oil into it as you crush until uniform and compact. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water. Dilute the pesto with a bit of the cooking water to make it creamier, then drain the pasta and add the sauce. Garnish with some whole basil leaves and freshly grated cheese.