A Liguarian speciality, this simple dish is composed of the region’s famous trofie pasta and pesto. Thrown together within fifteen minutes, this would be perfect for any occasion and definitely won’t leave you, or your dining companions disappointed.
I’d recommend making the pesto but due to my inability to find a supermarket, I had to cheat and buy a ready-made jar L Recipe for ‘cheat version’ below:
Ingredients (serves 4)
500g trofie pasta
1 large potato – sliced into 2cm rectangular pieces
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion – halved and then sliced
2 cloves garlic – thinly chopped
1 courgette – sliced into 2cm rectangular pieces
300g green beans – topped and tailed, chopped in half
200g pesto – minimum 65% basil
Seasoning
All sliced and diced!
Method:
1. Place the potatoes into salted boiled water for up to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fry the garlic and onion in the pan with the oil.
2. After 5 minutes, add the green beans to the potatoes and add the courgette to the garlic and onions. Leave both to simmer for 5 minutes.
Potatoes on the boil – onions, garlic and courgette in the frying pan!
3. Check the potatoes are al dente (slight hardness to them) and drain the water and boil some freshly seasoned water for the pasta. Stir into the onions and garlic and take the frying pan off the heat.
Mix all vegetables together and boil the past
4. Cook the pasta, for about 6 – 8 minutes if fresh, longer if dried – keep an eye on it to ensure you achieve an al dente result rather than soggy and overcooked. Mix all the vegetables together.
5. Drain the pasta, keeping a little of the water to one side and mix into the vegetable mixture. Add the pesto and give a good stir.
And mix!
6. If you like your sauce a little ‘wetter’, add some of the leftover water. This starchy water will coat the pasta better and rather than making it watery, will result in a thicker sauce.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan and a squeeze of lemon.
Verdict? 
You’ve probably figured out that I’m pretty critical, and that doesn’t stop at my own cooking. However, I’m actually not overly keen on pesto pasta as I find it too rich, however, I can guarantee that if you like these two main components, you’ll love this dish. And, its simplicity makes it even more loveable!
