Trenette al Pesto

5 from 12 votes

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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 743kcal

Author: Tristin - Home Cooked Harvest

Ingredients

For the pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts raw
2 cups basil leaves packed
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup parmesan cheese hand grate
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin

For the pasta

1 tablespoon salt
3 medium gold potatoes washed, peeled, and cut in bite-sized pieces
1 cup green beans washed, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces trenette pasta linguine or fettuccine

Instructions

To Make Pesto

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.
In the bowl of a food processor, add in basil, toasted pine nuts, pinch of salt, garlic and grated cheese. Blend well.
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.

To Make Trenette Pasta

Fill a large pot with cold water. Place over high heat and add in a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
To the large pot of salted water add in potatoes. Boil about 6 minutes then add in green beans. Cook for 4 more minutes until green beans are crisp and potatoes are tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and put in a large mixing bowl, set aside.
Add trenette pasta to boiling water. Cook according to the package directions, until it is al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta.
In a medium bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the reserved water with the pesto. Use more water if you need the sauce thinner.
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.
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.

Notes

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.
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.
Leftovers will last about 2 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Cover any leftover pesto with a thin layer of olive oil.

* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Nutrition