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.
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:
Trofie Pasta With Pesto
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Jen @ Juanita's Cocina says
I don’t know what Trofie Pasta is, but I want it.
Renee says
Thanks Jen!
Terry B Gardner (@tbgdesign) says
Thanks for posting the basil illustration. Proud to be part of your wonderful blog. The pasta looks delish.
CJ at Food Stories says
So glad you had a great trip and made it back to all your foodie friends … Always wondered if it was worth my time to freeze pesto in cubes like that … May have to give it a go 🙂
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
This pasta looks suuuuper delicious!! I would love a big bowl!
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
How wonderful, Renee. I spent a month in Italy in September. Trofie was a pasta that we saw everywhere as it originated in the Liguria region where I spent a couple of weeks. It’s perfect for a sauce like this – especially since pesto originated in Liguria too 🙂
amy @ fearless homemaker says
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!!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
oh my!!! YUM!!
Terra says
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
Katherine G says
This looks so delicious!!!