Ligurian Italian · Dinner

Trofie al pesto

Name: Trofie al pesto
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Ligurian Italian
Ingredients: 3 packed cups small Genovese basil leaves, washed and completely dried; 1 small garlic clove; 1/3 cup pine nuts; 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt; 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; 1/4 cup finely grated Fiore Sardo or Pecorino Sardo; 3/4 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil; 1 pound dried trofie; 8 ounces Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces; 4 quarts water; 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Twisted trofie tossed off heat with vivid Genovese basil pesto, tender potato, and green beans in the classic Ligurian service.

About 45 minTotal

About 45 minActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

Chop by hand and stop at a coarse texture; keep all flavorful pan juices.
Best durable full-size pick
Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor · DFP-14BCNY
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Chop by hand and stop at a coarse texture; keep all flavorful pan juices.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched bowl capacity and pulse control to the recipe, then checked exact model identity, included blades, motor specifications, warranty, cleanup, and storage burden. Kwilt has not cooked with this processor.
Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor · DFP-14BCNY: The large work bowl and straightforward pulse control handle salsa and other household prep without forcing food into a small chopper in repeated batches. Trade-off: It is heavy, expensive, and needs meaningful cabinet or counter space; the fixed slicing disc is less flexible than newer systems.
Another workable path: Chop the ingredients by hand with a chef’s knife, keeping the pan juices and stopping at the recipe’s intended coarse texture.
Sources
Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

3 packed cups small Genovese basil leaves, washed and completely dried
1 small garlic clove
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup finely grated Fiore Sardo or Pecorino Sardo
3/4 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound dried trofie
8 ounces Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
4 quarts water
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions

Chill the , or use a marble mortar. Pulse garlic, pine nuts, and sea salt to a paste. Add basil in batches with short pulses, then both cheeses. Stream in oil only until emulsified; do not let the pesto warm.
Bring water and kosher salt to a boil. Add potato and cook 5 minutes, then add trofie. Add green beans for the final 5 minutes, timing all three to become tender together.
Reserve 2 cups cooking water and drain. Put pesto in a large room-temperature bowl and loosen with 1/2 cup warm pasta water.
Add trofie, potato, and beans and toss off heat, adding water until pesto coats without oiling out. Serve immediately; never fry or simmer the pesto.

Genoa, LiguriaLigurian cooking traditions

From the table

About this recipe

Pesto Genovese belongs to Genoa and Liguria, traditionally combining basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, Parmigiano, Pecorino, and olive oil; trofie is often served with potato and green beans cooked in the same water.

Pesto Genovese has a protected seven-ingredient identity: Genovese basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, Parmigiano, Sardinian Pecorino, and olive oil. Potatoes and green beans are not pesto ingredients; they are a classic Ligurian addition to pasta service. “Pesto” names a pounding method, and heat damages its basil aroma and emulsion. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Stay inside the consortium formula and include the documented potato-bean trofie service, translating mortar technique to careful short-pulse processing.

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