Trofie with Genoese Pesto

La storia di questo piatto

Trofie al Pesto Genovese are the edible soul of Liguria — a narrow strip of land where the sea breathes upward into terraced hillsides and DOP basil grows drunk on salt air and Mediterranean light. Every bite carries the weight of Genoese hands, the memory of marble mortars worn smooth by centuries of the same devotion.

Ingredienti

• 400 g Fresh or dried trofie pasta
• 80 g Genovese DOP basil
• 50 g Toasted pine nuts
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 100 g Grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
• 50 g Aged Pecorino Romano
• 150 ml Ligurian extra virgin olive oil
• 10 g Sea salt
• 150 g New potatoes
• 100 g Fresh green beans

Preparazione

1. Take your marble mortar and rub the walls well with a garlic clove, so the aroma clings to the stone and infuses everything you make in it. Put the pine nuts inside and crush them gently, with patience, just enough to crack the skin and release the oil they contain within: they should not turn into powder, but rather stay somewhat broken into small pieces.
2. Wash the basil leaves and dry them with care, perhaps by gently patting them with a cloth, because any water that remains will ruin both the color and the flavor. Remove the stems and add the leaves to the mortar a little at a time, grinding with a circular and light motion, almost like a caress: the secret is not to crush with force, otherwise the basil heats up and loses its fresh fragrance.
3. Now combine the grated cheeses, both Parmigiano and Pecorino, and continue turning the pestle with gentleness, without rushing. Pour in the oil in a thin stream, a little at a time, stirring constantly: you will see the mixture become glossy and creamy, a beautiful brilliant green, the sign that your pesto is ready.
4. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the new potatoes together with the green beans for 8 to 10 minutes, until you feel they are tender but not falling apart when you pierce them with a fork. In the same water, or in another pot, cook the trofie pasta: they are done when they start to float to the surface, and at that point drain them right away, setting aside a ladle's worth of their cooking water that may always come in handy.
5. Pour the trofie while still hot into a large bowl, which is important because the heat of the pasta helps the pesto melt without needing any fire. Add the pesto, the potatoes and the green beans, and toss with slow and gentle motions, as if you were wrapping the pasta in a green blanket. Finish with an abundant grinding of black pepper, which really belongs here.
6. Bring it to the table right away, in warm bowls, because this is a dish that will not wait. A drizzle of good quality raw oil and a few fresh basil leaves scattered on top give the final touch of fragrance. Always remember: Genoese pesto is never cooked, the heat from the pasta is more than enough to make it become creamy and inviting.