Trofie with pesto, potatoes and green beans is a traditional Ligurian first course combining fresh pasta with Pesto Genovese, tender potatoes and green beans. This traditional combination is also known as pesto accomodato or avvantaggiato.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes about 1 cm in size. Trim and wash the green beans, then cut them in half if they are particularly long.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then add the salt. Cook the green beans for about 8-10 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside, keeping the cooking water in the pot.
Bring the same water back to the boil and add the potatoes. Cook them on their own for about 5 minutes so they begin to soften before adding the pasta.
Add the trofie to the same pot and cook them together with the potatoes. Fresh trofie should only need a few minutes, but always taste one to check. Before draining, reserve a cup of the cooking water.
Place the Pesto Genovese in a large bowl and add a little cooking water, one tablespoon at a time, stirring until creamy. Do not heat the pesto directly.
Drain the trofie and potatoes and transfer them to the bowl with the pesto. Add the green beans and mix gently. Add a little more cooking water only if needed to help distribute the pesto evenly. Serve immediately.
Servings 4
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
If using packaged trofie, check the cooking time on the packet and adjust when you add them to the potatoes accordingly. Fresh trofie generally need only a few minutes, while dried trofie require longer.
Always add the pesto off the heat. The cooking water is only used to loosen it enough to coat the trofie and vegetables evenly, so add it gradually to avoid making the sauce too thin.
The size of the potato cubes affects their cooking time. Cubes of about 1 cm should become tender without falling apart while they finish cooking with the trofie.
“Accomodato” and “avvantaggiato” are two terms found in Ligurian cooking when potatoes and green beans are added to pasta with pesto. They do not refer to a different kind of Pesto Genovese: the vegetables are added to the pasta dressed with pesto.
This combination is not exclusive to trofie. Potatoes and green beans also accompany trenette and bavette with pesto, two other pasta shapes associated with Ligurian cooking. Trofie are one of the best-known versions, but this way of serving pesto pasta belongs to a broader tradition.