Trenette al Pesto

Trenette al Pesto is a hearty pasta dish made with fresh green beans and tender potatoes all served in a flavorful homemade basil pesto sauce. This recipe includes the secret to getting perfect pesto pasta! Your family will love this traditional Ligurian dish that’s made in only about 30 minutes.

Trenette Pasta with Homemade Basil Pesto

Trenette is a long, flat pasta that hails from Genoa, Italy the capital of Liguria. It is very similar to linguine and fettuccine, and they are in fact used interchangeably in areas that do not have trenette (aka where I live, lol). Trenette pasta is a little wider and a little thicker than linguine.

It is a very popular dish in the Liguria region of Italy, where the trenette pasta is very commonly served in a rich homemade pesto sauce after being cooked with the potatoes and green beans. The cool thing is that the vegetables boil in the same pot of water as the pasta.

The first time I heard of trenette al pesto was in the Disney Pixar’s Luca, which takes place in the Italian Riviera. In the movie Luca and Alberto, two sea monster kids, end up on land and get served trenette al pesto. They basically go to town on it and start shoving handfuls of the noodles into their mouths, I mean that’s how I would probably eat it, too, if I was in Italy.

Anyway, the movie is cute if you haven’t seen, it we loved it, and it’s totally going to make you want to cook some Luca pasta of your own.

The Secret to Perfect Pesto Pasta

Sometimes, when you make basil pesto pasta it ends up dry and unappetizing. You try to save the pasta by adding in a ton of olive oil to make it smoother and creamier. But, guess what you are left with…super greasy pasta. Gross!

To get the creamiest pesto pasta, the key is adding in the water from the cooked pasta. It thins out the pesto making it the perfect consistency to coat the pasta. The fat in the pesto mixes with the starches in the pasta water and makes the sauce spreadable. So, the starch in the water basically emulsifies with the pesto, kind of like in a salad dressing.

What does Pesto Taste Like?

Out of all of the pasta sauces out there, I think that pesto is my favorite. Also known as pesto alla Genovese, it tastes super fresh and full of layers of flavor. It’s herbal from the basil, but garlicky and a little nutty from the crushed pine nuts. It could even be called a little grassy. It is somewhat creamy which comes from the cheese and the olive oil.

What Does Trenette al Pesto Taste Like?

This delicious pasta dish taste like pesto covered goodness. It has perfectly cooked potatoes and green beans that have the perfect crisp texture.

Can I Use Store Bought Pesto?

You can use store bought pesto in this recipe, but I think once you try this recipe with homemade pesto, you won’t want to go back to store bought.

What to Serve with Trenette al Pesto?

This easy and delicious pasta recipe pairs well with so many side dishes. For a full meal, we like to serve it with a big side salad and some stuffed cheesy garlic bread. You could make some bruschetta or a summer panzanella. Or make some vegetables like this squash and zucchini, parmesan broccoli or roasted asparagus.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the basic ingredients you need to make this great meal. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient amounts.

• Pine Nuts: We buy raw pine nuts, also known as pignolias, and toast them a little to bring out that natural nutty flavor.
• Basil: Fresh basil leaves must be used to ensure you make the best pesto. Make sure not to use brown leaves or you will end up with brown basil.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves will add that perfect garlic flavor. You do not want to use garlic powder as a substitute.
• Parmesan Cheese: Try to use a block of real parmigiana-reggiano cheese and grate or shred it yourself.
• Salt: You will need a pinch of salt for the pesto and more to salt the water (a teaspoon salt up to a tablespoon depending on how salty you like the water).
• Olive Oil: The quality of olive oil matters in pesto and you want to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Potatoes: I love cooking with gold potatoes or yellow potatoes, that is what I used in this recipe. Can use New Potatoes, also.
• Green Beans: Fresh green beans need to be washed and cut into 1-inch pieces. Haricots verts, a thinner more tender green bean, are a good substitute and can also be used.
• Trenette Pasta: If you can not locate this pasta, use linguine, fettuccine, or even spaghetti.
• Pasta Water: Make sure to reserve one cup of this water to make the pesto extra saucy.
• Optional Toppings: A sprinkling of parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper, lemon zest.

How to Make Trenette al Pesto Recipe

Here are the basic instructions of how to cook trenette al pesto. Check out the recipe card below for full directions.

1. Put a small skillet over medium heat, add in pine nuts and toast just until they are lightly browned. Remove from heat and let them cool.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, add in basil, toasted pine nuts, pinch of salt, garlic and shredded cheese. Blend well.
3. Add in a steady stream of olive oil while the food processor is running until mixture is smooth. Can add a touch of water or a little more oil if its not smooth enough. Set aside.
4. Fill a large pot with cold water. Place over high heat and add in a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
5. To the large pot of salted water add in cut potatoes. Boil about 6 minutes then add in green beans and cook for 4 more minutes until the green beans are crisp and potatoes are tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and put in a large serving bowl, set aside.
6. Add trenette pasta (or linguine/fettucine) to boiling water. Cook according to the package directions, until it is al dente.
7. Reserve a cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta.
8. In a medium bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the reserved water with the pesto. Use more if you need thinner sauce.
9. Add the pasta to the large bowl with the potatoes and green beans. Add in the sauce and toss well to coat all the pasta and vegetables.
10. Serve immediately. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you like, you can top with a sprinkle of parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese or lemon zest.

How to Make Pesto Without a Food Processor

Using a food processor to make pesto is the easy way to make it, but it is not the only way nor the traditional way (which was by using a motar and pestle) to make pesto. You can also use an immersion blender or actual blender.

If you don’t have any fancy machines you can easily make it using a very sharp knife or a mezzaluna, just follow these directions:

1. Toast the pine nuts according to the directions.
2. With a sharp knife on a large cutting board, chop the garlic along with 1/3 of the basil. When roughly chopped, add in another 1/3 of basil. Chop and then add the rest of the basil. The basil should be finely minced.
3. Add in half of the toasted pine nuts and chop them. Then chop in the rest of the pine nuts.
4. Add in half the parmesan cheese and chop. Then add the rest of the cheese and chop it.
5. Scoop the pesto mixture into a small bowl and mix in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Continue with the rest of the recipe or check out storage directions below. 

Tips & Variations

• Mix pasta away from heat. Toss the pasta with the pesto in a large bowl, not on the stove. The heat from the stove can turn the basil leaves in the pesto, black.
• Trenette substitutes. If you cannot locate trenette pasta, some suitable substitutes are linguine, fettuccine, or even spaghetti. Trofie pasta can also be used.
• Salt the water. Make sure to add a tablespoon or two of salt to the water of the pasta. The pesto has just a pinch of salt added to it, so the salted water will add the salt you need.
• Reserve pasta water. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to later mix in with the pesto and pasta.
• Grate your own cheese. I like to grate my own parmesan cheese, pre-grated cheeses have preservatives added to keep them from clumping and we don’t need those.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to add the potatoes and green beans? No, in this pasta dish if you would like just the pesto with the pasta you are welcome to eat it just like that.

Can this recipe be made with gluten free pasta? Yes, feel free to substitute the pasta with a gluten free one instead without having to change the recipe.

What is the pasta in the film Luca called? Giulia’s dad, Massimo, makes this exact pasta, trenette al pesto for Luca and Alberto when they come over to their house. They end up devouring the pasta with their bare hands!

What type of pasta is trenette? Trenette is a type of ribbon pasta.

Where does trenette al pesto originate? Trenette al pesto alla genovese originated in about 16th century in Liguria’s capital, Genoa, Italy. It is Ligurian tradition to add in green beans and potatoes.

What is trenette al pasta in English? It translates to trenette (the type of pasta) with pesto sauce. Pesto is a green sauce that is made of pine nuts, fresh basil leaves, fresh garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil, and parmesan cheese.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

How to refrigerate trenette al pesto? Let the pasta cool and put in an airtight container. It should last about 2 days in the fridge.

How to refrigerate leftover pesto? Store any extra pesto (without pasta sauce added) in a small airtight container with a thin layer of olive oil added to the top. Mix together before using.

How do you reheat pesto pasta? Preheat an oven to 350°F. Put the pasta in an oven safe dish and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for about 20 minutes until heated through. Or put pasta into a microwave safe dish and sprinkle with a little water. Cover with a damp paper towel and heat for about a minute. Stir and heat in 15 second increments until heated through.

Try these other dinner recipes!

• Tortellini alla Panna
• Stuffed Cheesy Garlic Bread
• Shipwreck Stew
• Roasted Garlic Potato Soup
• Frozen Chicken in Air Fryer
• Tortellini Soup with Sausage

If you’ve tried this trenette al pesto recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!

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