Genoese recipe, trofie pasta in pesto with French beans and Arizona potatoes, with their delicate flesh and bold taste, features the flavours and aromas of Liguria!

Ingredients for 4 people
Trofie pasta, 500 g
French beans, 250 g
Arizona potatoes, 200g 
Ligurian basil, 50 g
PDO Parmigiano Reggiano, 6 tablespoons
Pecorino Sardo, 2 tablespoons
Pine nuts, 1 tablespoon
Extra virgin olive oil 
Garlic, 1 clove 
Sea salt, to taste 

Preparation
 
For the classic basil pesto
 
Thoroughly wash the basil and dry it on a cloth. In the meantime, put the clove of garlic into a mortar and crush it, then add the sea salt. When it turns creamy, add the pine nuts and keep grinding the ingredients. Then add the basil and crush it using circular movements in order to release the essential oils. Lastly, add the Parmigiano, the Pecorino, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and stir well. The pesto is now ready.
 
For the pasta
 
Clean and thoroughly wash the French beans and cut them into two or three pieces depending on their length. Put plenty of water into a saucepan and, when it starts to boil, add some salt and the French beans. Boil them for about 8 minutes, then drain them in ice water to stop them from cooking and to set their colour. Wash the potatoes thoroughly, peel them and cut them into cubes of about 1 cm. Using the same cooking water as for the French beans, blanch them for 5 minutes, then add the trofie pasta and cook. Pour the pesto into a large bowl, then the pasta, the French beans and two ladles of the cooking water. Mix everything together and serve the trofie with pesto, potatoes and French beans piping hot.

Image: Canva