genova
Trenette with pesto sauce
Servings: 4
Preparation: 20 min.
Cooking: 20 min.
Difficulty: 
Ingredients

100 gr. = 3,5 os. BASIL LEAVES (about 3 basil bunches)

70 gr. = 2,5 PINE NUTS

45 gr. = 1,6 WALNUTS

2 small cloves of GARLIC

100 gr. = 3,5 oz. Grated PARMIGIANO REGGIANO

250 ml = 8,5 floz. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (approx 1 and 1/2 glass)

320 gr. = 11,5 oz. TRENETTE (thin flat long strings similar to spaghetti)

Salt

method for pesto sauce

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1 - Take the leaves from the basil bunches and discard the stems and the stalks. Rinse the leaves gently and quickly under running water and eliminate excess water putting them in a salad spinner or in a clean cotton towel.

2 - Spread them on a towel and let them dry.

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3 - Peel the cloves of garlic, cut them in two lengthwise, and remove the heart

4 - Put some basil leaves, some pine nuts and walnuts, garlic and half glass of oil in the mixer bowl.

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5 - Chop and add the rest of the ingredients gradually leaving a pinch of salt and the grated parmigiano at the end. Set aside.

6 - Store in freezer for a couple of months.

method

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1 - Fill a large pot with 3/4 water and put it over high heat. When water comes to a boil add a handful of coarse sea salt and wait for water to boil again before adding the trenette. Stir with a wooden spoon to keep them well separated from time to time.

2 - While pasta is cooking, put 4 spoons of the basil sauce in a bowl, large enough to contain trenette as well.

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3 - Add a few tablespoons of the cooking water in the sauce and mix with a table spoon, taking care not to make it too liquid.

4 - After cooking time, which is usually mentioned on the pasta packing, drain the trenette in a colander. Put the drained trenette in the bowl with the pesto sauce and toss them well before serving, hot.

Useful Suggestions

According to our family’s recipe, we avoid putting grated pecorino cheese, as requested in the original recipe because we prefer a more delicate taste. If you want to stick to the classical pesto sauce, you should put 80% of grated parmigiano and 20% of grated pecorino and avoid putting the walnuts. Furthermore all ingredients are crushed into a marble mortar by a wooden pestle. If you want to enrich the recipe, put a potato cut in small dices and a handful of green beans half cut, when you set water to boil over heat. Then proceed as previously explained.

Conservare il pesto

The remaining pesto sauce can be frozen and kept in freezer for a couple of months. Put in small containers equipped with covers topping the surface with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil before closing. Please be careful to indicate contents and production date in the container to be frozen. Take out from freezer a few hours before use and proceed as per above mentioned steps.

Suggested Wine

We suggest a dry white wine like Vermentino di Liguria or Pigato, but if you prefer a red whine, you can try with Rossese di Dolceacqua, which, with its delicate bouquet, would be the perfect alternative to white ones.