Menu
close
EXPLORE CLASSES
Menu
close
BOOK NOW

HOW TO MAKE

Trofie al pesto Genovese

Trofie with Genovese pesto

90 MinuteS to prepare and cook
Medium Difficulty
Want to learn how to cook this authentic Italian recipe of Trofie al pesto Genovese? Sign up today for chef Riccardo Alberti’s next class.

Recipe Overview

Trofie al pesto is the symbolyc dish of the ligurian cuisine. Unique of this region, trofie is a tricky pasta to make by hand. Only made with flour and water, they have an irregular shape that is difficult to reproduce by the pasta machines. As many local dishes, it’s rare to find Trofie farway from Liguria, indeed this pasta it’s a must to have when people are here. The one and only sauce that ligurian people accept to season the trofie is, actually, the pesto genovese. This sauce it’s very fresh and flavorful, it should be made with local basil and local pine nuts and obviously a good Ligurian Olive Oil.

 Ingredients

Total Served: 2

For the pasta:

1
100 grams (0.8 cup) Soft Wheat Flour “Type 00” (Cake Flour or All-Purpose Flour)
2
100 grams (0.6 cup) Semolina Flour
3
130 grams (0.55 cup) Hot water

For the pesto Genovese:

1
50 Basil leaves
2
20 grams ( 2 ⅓ tbsp) Pine nuts
3
15 grams ( 2 ½ tbsp) Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
4
15 grams ( 2 ½ tbsp) Pecorino Romano, finely grated
5
1 Garlic clove, minced
6
Extra virgin olive oil
7
Salt

Equipment Needed to Make Trofie al pesto Genovese

The following tools will be used to create Trofie al pesto Genovese. Not all of them are necessary and can be replaced with more manual operations, but we suggest using all of these to make the recipe as easy-to-create and yummy as possible. Click on any of the items to learn more about them and purchase them.
Working surface where to roll out pasta
Sharp kitchen knife
Cutting board
Immersion blender or Food processor
Kitchen scale
Bench scraper
Mixing bowl
Plastic wrap
Pot
Kitchen towels

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions for Trofie al pesto Genovese

Let’s get started with creating Trofie al pesto Genovese. Follow the instructions in order below to create this tasty fall dish.
Make the dough:
1
Mix the semolina with the 00 flour.
2
Pour them on the working surface and form a well in the center.
3
Add the water in, and stir with a fork to incorporate the flour a bit at a time until all the moisture is absorbed and the dough looks lumpy.
4
Work the dough with both hands until a mass forms, start to knead it.
5
Repeat until the dough is a smooth but elastic mass.
6
Wrap the dough in plastic and set it aside to rest at room temperature for 25 minutes.
Make the pesto Genovese:
1
Put all the ingredients in a blender, divided into layers.
2
Start with a little bit of basil, then pine nuts, a pinch of parmigiano reggiano and pecorino romano, the garlic clove and a generous splash of olive oil.
3
Repeat the sequence of ingredients adding a pinch of salt.
4
Blend the pesto until it gets nice and smooth.
5
Cover with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge just the time to shape the pasta.
Make the trofie:
1
Cut a ¼ dough and roll it all the way into a long little strip.
2
Cut it into little pieces and roll each one under your palm to give it a spiral shape.
3
Roll it the first two times back and forward and then one time diagonally toward you.
4
Set the trofie to rest on a sprinkled tray before cooking them.
Cook and season with pesto:
1
Bring a large pot of water to boiling over high heat. Season with salt and cook the trofie for a couple of minutes.
2
Pour half of the pesto in a bowl, add the pasta once cooked and stir to combine. Add the rest of the pesto and mix.
3
Serve and sprinkle more cheese on top of the plate.
Buon Appetito!
Share your creation with everyone
Tag Chef Riccardo Alberti, @riccardocookingclass

Receive Exclusive Recipes From Chef Riccardo

Chef Riccardo is constantly creating new recipes and sharing traditional Italian recipes from his family. Be the first to receive new recipes before they are launched on the website.