🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🌿 Pesto Genovese Pasta
Trenette al Pesto Genovese
Pesto Genovese Pasta brings together Liguria's fragrant basil sauce — pounded with pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano, and Pecorino — with pasta, green beans, and potatoes in one classic pot.
True Genovese pesto is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, which bruises rather than purees the basil, preserving its bright flavor without the bitterness a food processor's blade can introduce through heat and oxidation.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mortar and pestle or food processor, Large pot
- 400 g (14 oz) trenette or linguine
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 150 g (5 oz) green beans, trimmed and halved
Pesto
- 60 g (2 cups packed) fresh basil leaves
- 40 g (¼ cup) pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- 60 g (¾ cup) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 20 g (¼ cup) grated Pecorino Romano
- 120 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
Method
- Make the pesto: in a mortar and pestle (or food processor), pound or pulse the basil, pine nuts, and garlic with a pinch of salt until a coarse paste forms.
- Gradually work in the Parmigiano and Pecorino, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, mixing until you have a thick, vibrant green sauce. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the diced potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the green beans and pasta to the same pot, cooking together until the pasta is al dente.
- Reserve a cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta, potatoes, and beans together.
- Toss everything with the pesto in a large bowl, off the heat (never over direct heat, which dulls the basil's flavor and color), adding pasta water as needed to loosen.
- Serve immediately.
Chef Tips
- Never cook pesto directly — always toss it with hot pasta off the heat to preserve its bright color and fresh flavor.
- A traditional mortar and pestle genuinely produces a better texture and flavor than a food processor, which can heat and oxidize the basil.
- The potatoes and green beans are a distinctly Ligurian touch — don't skip them for an authentic version of this dish.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Heating the pesto directly, which turns it dull and can make it taste bitter.
- Over-processing in a food processor, generating heat that darkens the basil.
- Omitting the potatoes and green beans, which are a traditional and integral part of this specific dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Basil and olive oil provide antioxidants and healthy fats.
- Pine nuts contribute healthy fats and protein.
Cultural Note
Genovese pesto has Protected Geographical Indication status, with strict traditional requirements including small-leafed Genovese basil (DOP) and a stone mortar for the most authentic preparation.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Fresh pesto keeps refrigerated with a layer of olive oil on top for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Best served at room temperature or gently warmed pasta tossed with cold pesto — avoid direct heating.
Serve with: A crisp Ligurian white wine (Vermentino), Crusty bread