In Liguria, pesto is served with trofie: a short, twisted pasta that grips the sauce at every point. Fusilli does the same work and takes less hunting to find. The spirals hold the pesto in the same way, and the result is nearly indistinguishable from the Genoese original once it is on the plate.
The most important step in this recipe is the one that happens off the heat. Pesto should never see the inside of a hot pan. You fold it into the pasta once the heat is off, loosening it with a spoonful of pasta water to get the consistency right. That water, starchy and slightly salty, is what turns a tablespoon of pesto into a sauce that coats every spiral.
The Ligurian tradition adds small potato chunks and green beans to the pasta water. We kept that here. It reads like a strange addition until you eat it.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously.
If using potatoes and green beans: add the potato pieces first and cook 5 minutes before adding the pasta. Then add the green beans.
Add 11 oz of Gusta fusilli. Cook 9 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Drain the pasta and vegetables together. Return to the pot off the heat.
Add 6 tbsp of Gusta Genovese Pesto directly to the pasta. Toss quickly, adding pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until the sauce coats every spiral.
Divide into bowls. Finish with 1.5 oz of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
You made Fusilli al Pesto Genovese. Time to eat.
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Genovese pesto splits at high heat. If your reserved pasta water has cooled, warm it briefly before adding. Cold water and hot pesto makes a lumpy sauce.
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