Trenette al Pesto (From Disney-Pixar's Luca!)
This creamy Trenette Al Pesto is the traditional Ligurian pasta dish featured in Disney-Pixar's Luca. Trenette pasta is cooked with tender potatoes and sliced green beans, then seasoned simply with Genovese basil pesto. It tastes like summer and is easy enough to make with kids!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 430kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the basil pesto
- 2 ½ cups fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest, plus half a lemon juiced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the pasta
- 1 lb trenette pasta, can use spaghetti or linguine
- ½ lb green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1½-2 inch pieces
- 1 large Russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Make the pesto sauce. Place all ingredients except for olive oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment: 2½ cups basil leaves, ½ cup grated Parmesan, ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1 tsp lemon zest, ½ lemon juiced, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp black pepper. Pulse until very finely chopped.
- Finish with olive oil. With the machine on, slowly drizzle in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil until smooth and emulsified. Set aside or store in a fridge until needed.
- Boil the water. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, then season generously with 1-2 Tbsp Kosher salt.
- Cook the potatoes. Carefully place the peeled cubed potato into the boiling water. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the pasta and string beans. Add pasta to the same large pot, then give it a good stir. Cook until al dente according to package instructions (usually 9-13 minutes, depending on the pasta). After 5 minutes, add the cut string beans. Check to make sure each ingredient is fully cooked, then reserve ½ cup of cooking water. Drain everything.
- Toss with pesto sauce. To the same large pot, pour in the prepared pesto sauce. Place over medium heat, then add the drained pasta and veggies along with ½ cup of reserved pasta cooking water. Toss until heated through and the pasta is well coated, about 2 minutes.
- Finish, then serve. Plate the pasta, sprinkle with additional Parmesan, then drizzle each portion with a little extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and extra black pepper, if wanted. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Basil pesto will keep for up to 5 days in a fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 642IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @wellseasonedstudio and hashtag it #wellseasonedstudio!
