If there’s one thing I go all in on every summer, it’s basil. Since I can only grow it during the warmer months, I make sure to plant as much as possible—usually 15 to 20 basil plants of different varieties. When the temperature starts to drop and the first freeze looms, I know it’s time to use up the last of my basil by making pesto. Lots of it.
Pesto is my favorite way to make the most of fresh basil, and while Ry might not share my obsession, he humors me with pesto-centric meals at least every other week. I could eat it on anything—or straight off the spoon—but this time, I decided to make a day of it by pairing it with homemade pasta. And what better match for fresh pesto than trofie?
I like to think my enthusiasm has coerced him into enjoying it.
Trofie al Pesto: Handmade Pasta Twists with Fresh Basil Pesto
What is Trofie al Pesto?
Trofie al pesto is a classic dish from the Ligurian region of Italy. Trofie is a short, hand-rolled, twisted pasta, and classically made without eggs (I used eggs for this recipe). Trofie are made with semolina flour and water which gives them the perfect chewy texture. And those spirals have the perfect texture to cling to the best basil pesto. The ones I made here are with standard all-purpose flour and eggs. It still gives that great texture, but without the need to get any specialty flour.
Ligurian pesto is made with fresh Genovese basil, pine nuts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, and sometimes pecorino. This dish also typically include boiled potatoes and green beans tossed with the trofie and pesto. I didn’t do that here, but I would highly recommend you try it.
For this recipe, wanted to keep things simple—just homemade trofie and fresh basil pesto, made with a mix of basil from my garden and some really good olive oil. I garnished with purple basil for a pop of color, but I didn’t mix it into the pesto since I wanted to keep that signature vibrant green. Gorgeous!
Ingredients You’ll need
For the Trofie Pasta:
- 2 cups flour (~200g)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- Dash of olive oil
- Pinch of salt
For the Basil Pesto:
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Salt to taste
How to Make Trofie al Pesto
Making the Trofie Pasta
- In a food processor, combine the flour, eggs, olive oil, and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Check the texture by pinching a bit of dough—it should hold together but not be crumbly. If needed, add water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
- To shape the trofie, pinch off small pieces of dough (about 1/2 teaspoon each). On a wooden surface, roll each piece using your fingertips into a short tube. Then, with the outer edge of your hand, roll the dough at a slight angle to create the classic trofie twist.
- Repeat until all the dough is shaped. These don’t have to be perfect—just aim for similar sizes so they cook evenly.
Making the Pesto
- In a food processor, blend the garlic and pine nuts until finely ground.
- Add the basil and olive oil, blending until smooth.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan and season with salt. Taste and adjust with more cheese or a squeeze of lemon if you want.
Cook The Trofie & Toss with Pesto
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the trofie for about 12 minutes, or until tender but still firm to the bite.
- Drain the pasta well and toss immediately with the pesto.
- Garnish with additional basil and extra Parmesan before serving.
Tips for the Best Trofie al Pesto
Shape pasta on a wooden surface
Use a wooden cutting board or the surface of a wood table to shape the trofie. The texture of the wood helps grip the dough so you can form that lovely spiral shape. It also gives the final pasta some texture to hold onto the pesto sauce.
Don’t over process your pesto
Don’t blend the pesto until it’s completely smooth. You want some texture to it, keep it a little coarse. This also helps avoid the basil from getting bitter.
Save some pasta water
If your pesto is too thick, add a splash of pasta water to help a create a silky, well-coated sauce.
FAQs
What makes trofie different from other pasta?
Trofie is hand-rolled, with a distinctive spiral shape that allows it to cling to sauce better than smoother pasta types.
Can I make trofie without special equipment?
Absolutely! Trofie is shaped by hand, requiring only a wooden surface to create the classic twist.
What can I substitute for pine nuts in pesto?
If pine nuts aren’t available, you can use walnuts, almonds, or even pumpkin seeds. The flavor will be different, but still very delicious!
Can I freeze the trofie or the pesto?
Yes! You can freeze the trofie before boiling and cook straight from frozen. Pesto also freezes well—just store it in an airtight container with a layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation.
Trofie al Pesto is a dish that’s all about simple, fresh ingredients and traditional techniques. Whether you’re rolling pasta by hand for the first time or just looking for a way to use up an abundance of basil, this recipe is worth the effort.
Like most recipes, I recommend using what you have, and substituting here and there. I’m a fan of all pestos, they don’t need to be this classic version. Feel free to use whatever green or nut you want and play around with different cheeses too. I like to use parsley or arugula and occasionally use hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds. Keep it simple and use what you have and what’s good and available right now. It’ll be delicious.
And, if you plan on making the trofie by hand, just be patient. It does take a few tries to get used to rolling the little spirals out. And, it takes a good while to get through the full ball of dough. It’s a lazy, all-day, weekend type of thing.
Some Other Homemade Pasta Recipes to Try Out
- Homemade Pasta – Your guide to making homemade, fresh pasta at home.
- Hand-Rolled Pinci Pasta – Step-by-step instructions for how to make homemade pinci (or pici) pasta.
- Homemade Garganelli Pasta – How to make and shape garganelli pasta tossed in an asparagus and grilled lemon sauce.
- Homemade Tortellini – How to make tortellini stuffed with roasted kabocha squash and fresh ricotta cheese. Finished in a sage, brown butter and hazelnut sauce.
- Homemade Potato Gnocchi – Learn how to make potato gnocchi from scratch with this foolproof recipe.
Did you try this recipe?
If you try this Trofie al Pesto recipe, let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment and rating with your thoughts and share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry.
Trofie al Pesto
Ingredients
For the Trofie
- 2 C flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 C water
- dash of oil
- salt
For The Pesto
- 3 C basil
- 3 tbsp pine nuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- salt
Instructions
Trofie
- You’re just making a basic pasta dough. You can either mix everything in a bowl, on the counter, or to keep things bit tidier as I do. Add the flour, eggs, oil and salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times just till combined and you can see if you need to add in any extra water. Usually, you can check by just pinching a bit of the dough to see if it sticks together. It should form a small clump, it shouldn’t be dry or crumbly. If it needs more water add in a tablespoon or two at a time, just until the dough forms a ball. I ended up adding in about 1/4 cup.
- Next, dump your dough out onto a floured surface and kneed for about 10 mins. You’ll know you’re done when the dough is smooth and bounces back when you poke it. Wrap it up in some plastic film, and let it chill for at least 30 minutes.
- One major recommendation here. You’re gonna want to form your trofie on a wooden surface. I used a cutting board. You don’t want to use a super smooth surface or else the dough will just slide all over the place and won’t form the little spiral shape. And, the wood also gives the surface of the pasta a nice texture to grab onto the pesto. Take your dough ball and pull off a small chunk, about 1/2 tsp. Aim for smaller, not bigger, here. Place your dough at the bottom of the board and stating with the tips of your fingers firmly roll up, like you were rolling the dough into a tube. Once the dough is at the base of your palm, keep pressure on it, and pull back and down at a 45 degree angle on the board using the outside of your hand, until you’ve rolled out the full length of the dough. You need to keep enough pressure against the board on the way down to create that spiral shape. It’ll take a few times to get used to it, at least it did for me, but once you get going, it’s a bit meditative. Just be patient and enjoy the process until you’ve used up all your dough. Also, these don’t need to be perfectly uniform. Just try and keep them smaller, they taste better that way, and try to keep them roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- And, if this is not at all remotely appealing to you, you can just boil some store bought pasta. It’s not a big deal.
Pesto
- Next up the pesto part. You can do this in a blender, food processor, using an immersion blender, or in a pestle and mortal. Totally up to you. Combine your garlic and nuts, and process till your have a sandy texture. Next add in your basil and oil and process till smooth. Lastly add in as much grated cheese as you like, stir to combine. Check if you need any salt, maybe some lemon? Pepper? Whatever you think it needs.
Cooking The Trofie
- The last bit is just boiling your trofie in salted water, usually about 12 minutes or so, but keep checking since it all depends on how big they are. Drain your pasta well, and off the heat add in plenty of that delish pesto. Top with some addition basil if you like, more cheese and eat up!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see how you made it your own!
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2 thoughts on Trofie al Pesto
This recipe is making me hungry for pasta ➕pesto. Thinking about pairing with some shell fish. Scallops, jumbo shrimp, or langostino. Yum.
Yummy