Trofie al Pesto is a Ligurian combination that works because both halves come from the same place. Trofie are short, hand-twisted pasta whose spiral ridges grip pesto without collecting too much of it. Pesto Genovese is not cooked; it is tossed with hot pasta off the heat, so the basil stays bright and the garlic stays clean.
The kit contains both: trofie from Liguria and pesto from Liguria, already calibrated to go together. You add water to boil the pasta, a little less salt than you would normally use (the pesto is already seasoned with Parmigiano and Pecorino), and optionally a drizzle of olive oil at the end. Everything else is already there.
The only decision is pasta water. Reserve a cup before you drain. Pesto tightens slightly as it meets the hot pasta, and starchy water loosens it and helps it coat evenly. You will not need all of it. Add slowly and stop when every piece is coated.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Season with coarse sea salt. Use less than you usually would for pasta: the pesto is already seasoned with Parmigiano and Pecorino.
Open the pesto jar and empty it into a wide bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of cold water to loosen it slightly before the hot pasta arrives.
Add the trofie and cook for 18 minutes, stirring once or twice to keep the pieces from sticking.
Before draining, scoop out 1 cup of the starchy cooking water and keep it nearby.
Drain the trofie and add them immediately to the bowl of pesto. Toss off the heat. Add pasta water a spoonful at a time, tossing between each addition, until the pesto coats every piece evenly. You will likely need ¼ cup or less.
Serve right away. Add a small drizzle of olive oil over each portion if you like.
You made Trofie al Pesto. Time to eat.
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The classic Ligurian version adds blanched thin green beans and waxy potato cubes cooked in the pasta water alongside the trofie. To try it: drop small potato cubes into the boiling water at the start, add trimmed green beans in the last 3 minutes of the pasta cook time, then drain everything together and toss with the pesto as usual.
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