This classic Italian pasta dish, Trenette al Pesto, is beloved for good reason—it’s comfort food at its best—soothing, satisfying, and packed with flavor and texture. I
t is also having its moment in the spotlight, as the dish was featured in popular Pixar animated film Luca, which takes place on the Italian Riviera. This version is an easy one pot recipe, sure to become a staple in your kitchen.
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Essential Ingredients
For the Pesto
• Fresh basil: A fragrant, tender herb, basil has a distinct flavor that includes hints of licorice, cloves, and mint. And is what gives pesto its signature flavor. The most common variety is Sweet Genovese basil, with large, satiny green and fragrant leaves. Kitchen math: ½ oz. basil leaves = about ½ cup lightly packed
• Pine nuts: These edible seeds of cultivated pine trees are what gives pesto its texture and structure. They have mildly buttery, sweet nutty flavor and a high oil content, which can cause them to go rancid quickly. Store them in freezer to avoid that.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano: Use good quality Parmesan for this, as it adds a wonderful depth of flavor and some texture to the pesto.
•Salt
•Olive oil: The flavor of your pesto depends on the quality of olive oil you use. Choose a fruity, green extra-virgin oil for optimal flavor and aroma.
For the Pasta
• Trenette pasta: Long, thin ribbon pasta ribbons that are slightly thinner than linguine.
• Potatoes: I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes for this dish. Their creamy flavor and texture are perfect with pasta, green beans and pesto. Russet potatoes can also be used.
• Green beans: I like to use thin green beans for this dish, as they will cook in the just 2 to 3 minutes. If you use thicker beans, adjust the cooking time.
• Pesto: I like to make homemade for this, but if your in a time crunch, you could use a good-quality prepared variety.
How to make Trenette al pesto
1. Make the pesto: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, ¼ cup of ice water, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, and 1 tsp. salt and process until the basil is coarsely puréed, scraping down the sides and adding more water to facilitate blending only if needed. With the processor running, add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream until the pesto looks creamy and emulsified. Scrape the pesto into a bowl , taste and add more salt if needed, and set aside.
Note: I have found that a food processor works best for this, as opposed to a blender, even a Vitamix.
2. Make the pasta: The process for cooking the pasta and vegetables is simple, as it's all done in one pot, but at different stages as the ingredients all cook at different lengths of time. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Start with the potatoes and boil for 4 minutes, then add the pasta and stir well. Cook until al dente, according to the package directions. About 3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the green beans and cook until pasta in al dente.
3. Drain the pasta and vegetable together in a colander. Transfer back to the pot or to a serving bowl. Add the pesto and toss gently to coat. Serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Recipe Tips
- You can store pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To refrigerate, transfer the pesto to an airtight container and pour enough oil over it to create a thin layer. This will prevent the pesto from oxidizing and changing color.
- To freeze the pesto: omit the oil layer and portion the pesto into small plastic freezer bags or ice cube trays so you can defrost only as much as you’ll use at one time. If using ice cube trays, freeze until solid, and then transfer the cubes to a plastic freezer bag for storage. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
The dish combines trenette pasta with potatoes, green beans and fresh basil pesto. It hails from Liguria Italy, where pesto is also a staple. Trenette is a type of long, flat pasta that is slightly thinner than linguine. In fact, trenette and linguine are often confused and can be easily substituted for one another. The dish is a Ligurian tradition and often served as a first course, or primo.
• Stir into vegetable soup
• Add to a cold potato or pasta salad
• Toss with grilled zucchini and summer squash and top with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.
• Serve as a sauce for grilled salmon, chicken or steak.
• Spread on sliced ripe fresh tomatoes, top with breadcrumbs, and slide under the broiler to heat.
• Mix a couple of tablespoons with best-quality extra-virgin olive oil and use as a dip for bread.
• Use as a sandwich spread.
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Trenette al Pesto | Luca Pasta
Ingredients
Classic Pesto
- 3 cups packed basil leaves
- ¼ cup ice water
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- ½ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably fruity
Trenette Pasta
- 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, about 2 large, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (optional)
- ½ lb. thin green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 12 oz. dried trenette, linguine or fettuccine pasta
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Make the pesto: Combine the basil, ice water, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, and 1 tsp. salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the basil is coarsely puréed, scraping down the sides and adding more water to facilitate blending only if needed. With the processor running, add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream until the pesto looks creamy and emulsified. Scrape the pesto into a bowl , taste and add more salt if needed, and set aside
- Make the pasta: Add the potatoes to the boiling water and boil 3 minutes. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 11 minutes or according to package directions. Add the green beans to the boiling water 3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking. Drain well, then transfer the mixture to a bowl, or back to the pot.
- Pour the pesto over pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. Taste and season with more kosher salt and pepper as needed. Serve topped with more grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
- You can store pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To refrigerate, transfer the pesto to an airtight container and pour enough oil over it to create a thin layer. This will prevent the pesto from oxidizing and changing color.
- To freeze the pesto: omit the oil layer and portion the pesto into small plastic freezer bags or ice cube trays so you can defrost only as much as you’ll use at one time. If using ice cube trays, freeze until solid, and then transfer the cubes to a plastic freezer bag for storage. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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Angela says
Yum, this is so good!