Trofie al Pesto - a Ligurian Specialty

At one of our very first restaurant meals of our trip, at La Bossa in Camogli, Richard had his first taste of the Ligurian pasta specialty called "trofie". These little curly strands of pasta are served with string beans (and sometimes potatoes!) and drenched in pesto - the fabulous Genoese sauce made from fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, grated cheese, and olive oil. When our nephew Patrick came to join us, Trofie al Pesto became his go-to order. Though readily available throughout most of Italy, this type of pasta is seldom seen in the US. So, we decided to make our own.

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Research for the right recipe took us to a number of websites, but our favorite turned out to be a video published by "Pasta Grannies". Nonna Rosetta's video makes it look easier than it is, but if you're not hung up on getting them perfect this is really one of the easier pasta shapes for making at home. Another good demo video from Delicious Magazine shows how you can use different parts of your hand for getting the right curls, so you can find the one that works best for you. Making pasta can be a meditative experience - perfect for these times!
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Ingredients

Pasta

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup boiling water

Topping

• 1/2 lb. green beans (haricots verts are best) trimmed and cut in half
• 6 to 8 oz of pesto (We are planning to do a recipe on this later in the summer when fresh basil is plentiful. For now we can use our favorite store-bought variety.)

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Process

Pasta

• Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl
• Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in about 3/4 cup of the water
• Using a fork, wooden spoon, or rubber spatula gradually incorporate the flour into the water until the water is evenly absorbed
• With your hands knead the dough into a ball. If the dough is too dry to stick together easily, add more water
• Knead for about 10 minutes on a board or counter (about 300 kneads) until the dough is smooth and elastic
• Cover with a bowl and let rest for at least 30 minutes - IMPORTANT STEP!
• Cut off an 1/8 of the ball and roll into a "snake" about 1/2 in in diameter
• Cut the snake into small 1/4 inch pillow-shaped pieces (cut about a dozen at a time so they don't dry out)
• Roll a piece into a "worm-shaped" strand with the palm of your hand against the board
• Using either the outside edge of your hand, the edge of your thumb, or your index finger, press down and pull back on the strand, moving along it as it rolls back, so that little curls form (best to view one of the videos to get the technique down)
• Continue until all of the dough is used up, keeping the finished pieces to the side in a single layer so they don't stick to each other. Sprinkle with flour if you need to and let them dry out a bit. 

Cooking

• Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat
• Add a tablespoon or so of salt to the boiling water to bring the temperature up even more
• Toss in the green beans and boil for about 4 minutes, tasting occasionally to catch them at your preferred level of "al dente" texture
• Using a slotted spoon or small colander, remove beans from the water and set aside in a large serving bowl
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes, again tasting and cooking until they reach your preferred level of texture. 
• Reserve a cup of the water, and then remove the pasta to the bowl with the beans
• Add the pesto and a bit of the pasta cooking water, stir to fully combine (the pesto doesn't need to be cooked. It just warms up from the pasta.)
• Serve immediately with a bit of parmesan cheese

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Demo