Authentic Trofie al Pesto Recipe Liguria, Italy

Mix salt and flour in a large bowl. Pour the water into the bowl and slowly mix the ingredients with a fork.

When the mixture pulls together and gains shape, start mixing and kneading with your hands until it is well defined, meaning it doesn't leave any trace on the fingers after pushing them into the dough. Add a small amount of flour if the mixture is too wet or a small amount of water if it is too dry.

Once the dough is defined, sprinkle some flour on your work surface or a wooden board. Transfer the dough onto the work surface and knead, making sure to turn the dough with each press, as that will activate the gluten and give trofie pasta texture. Proceed for 8-10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.

Form the dough into a disk, and sprinkle some flour on top and bottom, envelope it in plastic wrap, and store it in a refrigerator for at least one hour.

Retrieve the dough from the freezer, sprinkle some flour on your work surface, as well as on the plate that will store formed noodles. Cut the dough into a rope section about 6-7mm (¼ inch) wide and roll the rope with your hands, similarly to the way children play with clay or playdough. While rolling, cover the rest of the dough to prevent it from drying out.

Cut the rope into smaller horizontal pieces, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) in length. Take one piece and roll it between your palms to give it a swirly, crescent shape.

Repeat the previous two steps until all the dough is turned into trofie noodles, which should be placed on a plate dusted with flour.

Prepare the pestle and mortar, wash the basil leaves, and leave them to dry on a cloth.

Meanwhile, put the peeled garlic in the mortar, along with a pinch of salt (to taste). Crush and grind the garlic until it turns pasty.

Add the basil leaves gradually with small pinches of salt, which help with crushing the basil fibers.

Crush the basil leaves gently, by rotating the pestle against the sides of the mortar, and (if possible) rotate the mortar in an opposite direction. Continue until the leaves are crushed, and start releasing a bright green liquid and scent.

Add the pine nuts and proceed to stir until they are reduced into a creamy mixture.

Gradually add both types of cheese to the mix and some extra virgin olive oil while continuously stirring the pestle until the mix is homogenous and compact.

Meanwhile, prepare a pot of water, add some salt and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta. If the trofie pasta is ready-made, cook it according to the instructions, and if it is fresh, it should take around 4 minutes. Make sure that the pasta is al dente (not overcooked and soft, not too hard and chewy) then drain it. The noodles floating up to the top should indicate that the pasta is nearly cooked.

Save some of the cooking water, and place the drained pasta in a large bowl or a saucepan.

Next, add the pesto. If the pesto appears to be a bit dense, pour in some of the cooking water to achieve the desired consistency, as well as to warm it up a bit. Gently stir the mix until both the pasta and the pesto are well combined.

Serve the trofie al pesto garnished with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a sprig of basil.