Trofie al Pesto

As mentioned earlier, I enjoyed this dish on our first night in Italy's Cinque Terre in the town of Monterosso. The mix of flavors and textures makes it a little more adult than the typical spaghetti and red sauce we all usually throw together for a busy weeknight meal. 

The trofie pasta is wonderful, but it can be hard to find so you can substitute something like gemelli instead. For a heartier meal, throw in some pieces of cooked chicken into the warming pesto. 

Trofie al Pesto
(Serves 6.)

• 1 pound fresh or dried trofie* pasta or substitute gemelli boxed pasta
• 1 cup of basil pesto, homemade (recipe follows) or jarred basil pesto

Trofie al Pesto

Cook the pasta as directed, drain and place pasta in a large bowl. Warm the pesto slightly on the stove and add to the pasta. Toss to coat and serve.

Basil Pesto
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, washed well and spun dry
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place first 4 ingredients in a food processor and finely chop. With the motor running, add oil in a stream, processing until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Can be purchased in the refrigerated section of an Italian market or at Whole Foods fresh pasta bar. If you are lucky, you may also find the dried trofie in a market or online.