Trenette al Pesto

The Method for Trenette al Pesto

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1. Blend the basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheeses and salt, adding the oil in a thin stream, to a rough paste.

   Mark done

2. Boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water for 5 minutes. Add the beans and boil for 3 minutes more.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

3. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Keep 150 ml of the water, then drain.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

4. Toss everything with the pesto and enough of the water to make it creamy.

   Mark done

Things to Watch For

1. Never heat the pesto.
2. Cook the potatoes and beans in the same water.
3. Add pasta water to loosen the sauce.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

On the Table Alongside

Green salad · Dry white wine · Grilled fish

Leftovers

Best fresh. The pesto keeps for 3 days under oil.

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.