Trenette al Pesto

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 438kcal

This Ligurian Trenette al Pesto is pasta tossed with basil pesto, potatoes, and green beans. Simple, fresh, and packed with flavor!

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until lightly golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. In a food processor, pulse pine nuts and garlic until finely chopped. Add basil, Parmesan, and salt, and pulse until a coarse mixture forms. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until a smooth, emulsified sauce forms. Set aside.
Alternatively, use 1/2 cup of store-bought pesto.

Bring 2–3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt and potatoes, cooking for 4 minutes.
Add trenette pasta and cook according to package instructions.
When 5 minutes remain, add green beans to the pot. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain pasta and vegetables.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta and vegetables with the pesto, adding pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce.
Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan and toasted pine nuts.

Trenette is traditional, but linguine or bavette work well. Avoid spaghetti, which doesn’t hold the sauce as well.
Add them 5 minutes before the pasta is done to keep them bright and slightly crisp.
Before draining, save ¼ cup pasta water to loosen the pesto and help it coat the pasta evenly.
Use ½ cup of high-quality store-bought pesto and stir in a little extra Parmesan and olive oil for better flavor. For bright green pesto, use dry basil or blanch it for 5 seconds before blending.
Lightly mashing a few cubes of potatoes into the pasta makes the sauce extra creamy and cohesive.