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Trofie Pasta With Pesto

Trofie Pasta With Pesto, Potatoes, and Green Beans

I needed a touch of summer. My recent trip to Germany was wonderful except for the grey, foggy, and cloudy days. It was cold there too. I was glad it did not rain or snow. I only wish there had been some sunshine. When I arrived back home it was chilly here. The trees had dropped most of their leaves. I missed the greens, warmth, and flavors of summer. I knew I had to make trofie pasta with pesto right away.

Thank goodness for the freezer. Last summer I made several batches of pesto and froze them in ice cube trays. Once they were frozen, I popped out the cubes and put them in a freezer bag. Then all I have to do is pull out as many cubes as I need for a recipe. It is what I did for this one. It took one bite to give me a smile while thinking about summer and my fresh basil.

Basil - Original Artwork by tbgdesign

Original artwork by tbgdesign for Magnolia Days

What gorgeous artwork! It was done by my incredibly talented friend Terry. She generously gave it to me to use on this blog. I could not wait to share it. I am very honored to have it and a few more. Check out the ones she did of parsley and rosemary.

What flavors make you think of summer? Do you save or freeze foods to use in the winter? Trofie pasta with pesto is one of the ways I use my summer harvest to brighten up a cold, grey day. You can always use store-bought pesto if you do not have homemade. Just be sure to make some next summer and freeze it for later use.

You can get trofie pasta in specialty stores and on Amazon. Click on the photo to go to Amazon where you can purchase it:

Basil - Original Artwork by tbgdesign
5 from 1 vote
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Trofie Pasta With Pesto

A classic Ligurian recipe for trofie pasta with pesto, potatoes, and green beans. Homemade or store-bought pesto can be used in this dish.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Renee

Ingredients

  • 2 medium boiling potatoes Yukon Gold recommended
  • 4 to 6 ounces haricot verts thin green beans
  • 8 ounces trofie pasta uncooked
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup Pesto homemade or store-bought
  • Toasted pine nuts for garnish

Instructions

  1. Peel the potatoes, slice in half, and then into 1/4-inch slices. Add the potatoes to a pot and cover by at least 2 inches of water. Add some salt to the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender (about 10 minutes). Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. Wipe out the pot, add more water, and bring it to a boil. Add some salt and stir. Put the haricot verts in the pot, lower the heat to medium, and cook the beans for 3 minutes. Remove beans using tongs and place them in an ice water bath. Once the beans have cooled, drain and chop into bite-sized pieces. Place the chopped beans in the bowl with the potatoes.
  3. Bring the water in the pot back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta well and add it to the bowl with the potatoes and beans.
  4. Add the pesto to the bowl and stir gently to combine. Add pasta water as needed so the ingredients are coated with the pesto and mixture is not dry. Garnish with toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

A classic Ligurian recipe for trofie pasta with pesto, potatoes, and green beans. Homemade or store-bought pesto can be used in this dish.

Recipe inspired by one from Williams-Sonoma.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Recipe Rating




Mim

Saturday 1st of June 2019

Have made this a couple of times. It is simple & delicious. I used gemelli pasta in place of Trofie and petite peas in place of green beans. Always have homemade pesto in the freezer. Now that fresh green beans are available will try it again with the beans. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.

Katherine G

Sunday 2nd of December 2012

This looks so delicious!!!

Terra

Sunday 2nd of December 2012

I love that you froze your pesto, that is a wonderful idea! Your pasta sounds delicious! I guess ice cream, tomatoes, and canteloup make me think of summer:-) Hugs, TerraTerra

Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom

Saturday 1st of December 2012

oh my!!! YUM!!

amy @ fearless homemaker

Thursday 29th of November 2012

Oh wow, this looks lovely. I have some frozen pesto made from our garden basil in the freezer, too - might need to thaw it to give this a try!!