No shortcuts. No cheat ingredients. This series takes the view that if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Each month we take a deep-dive into a classic dish, delving into the processes and analysing why it tastes so good, then we give you our ultimate recipe. This month: Emily Gussin does a pasta classic the proper way
Best of the best.
If you’re wondering what trofie al pesto is – well, it’s simply the best version of pesto pasta there is. Pesto or, to give it its full name, pesto alla genovese, originated in Genoa, the capital of Liguria. Made fresh using only the finest local ingredients, pesto was traditionally served with pasta along with potatoes and green beans. Think of this dish as pesto pasta plus.
THE PESTO
Italians will swear there’s but one way to make proper pesto, some even dictating the direction to grind in your mortar. But despite all the handed-down knowledge (and myths), is the traditional method really the best way to make it? The short answer is not necessarily – but my aim isn’t to upset anyone’s nonna.
Your ingredients
Don’t be tempted to use pesto from a jar for this dish... Not on my watch. It needs to be bright green and aromatic with fresh basil, garlic and toasted pine nuts, enriched with plenty of parmesan and peppery olive oil.
The word pesto itself just means pounded or crushed (or literally ‘pestled’). It pulls together a handful of local ingredients into a gloriously green, fresh sauce, with the basil taking centre stage. If you were in Liguria, you might use Genovese basil (the locals say it’s the sea spray that gives it its special taste), garlic from the famous village of Vessalico, extra-virgin olive oil from a nearby grove and, of course, proper parmesan and pungent pecorino from Sardinia.
Most of those wonderful things aren’t readily available in the UK (unless you’re willing to stump up some serious money), but quality ingredients remain key. Use a good bottle of extra-virgin olive oil, toast the pine nuts yourself rather than relying on stale pre-toasted ones and use basil at its freshest (save any limp or discoloured leaves for dishes in which the basil gets cooked).
Thankfully we do have access to good Italian cheeses. I think the best blend is two thirds parmigiano reggiano and one third pecorino romano – the first is sweet and complex, the second saltier and sharper.
To pound or to whizz? That’s the question...
If I have time and the inclination, I pound and crush the ingredients in a pestle and mortar, as it’s the best preparation method – the clue’s in the name, after all. If you ca
