One of the most popular recipes of traditional Italian cuisine
The history of Italian cuisine is characterized by the presence of some recipes related to particular regions of Italy that have then seen a large diffusion throughout the territory and also abroad. One of the most famous and appreciated is the recipe for trenette al pesto. Italian Traditions will lead you on the discovery of this typical dish of Ligurian cuisine. By now it has become by right one of the main dishes of the culinary tradition of our country. Here we will present the original recipe and the ingredients that you will need to make it. Finally we will present the phases of its preparation.
What is it
Trenette al pesto is a first course that is an important part of the Ligurian tradition. It is a type of pasta that is just seasoned using pesto. In particular, the pasta is similar to long spaghetti. They have a rectangular section and are wound together. Its origin is very old and already in the past this dish was used to feed the workers who came home after a hard day. This satisfied their hunger.
Pesto
The main ingredient of the recipe for trenette al pesto is without a doubt the latter. It is a condiment of Genoese origin and has a base that consists of basil. To obtain it, it is necessary to crush the basil in a mortar together with salt, pine nuts and garlic. In this way a mixture is obtained consisting of ingredients which are mixed together cold. This allows the products used to maintain their organoleptic characteristics. The first known recipe dates back to the 1800s but its use is very likely to be much earlier.
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The recipe
The recipe for trenette al pesto includes some variations depending on the preferences but the traditional one is based on the use of particular ingredients. These are what you need if you want to make a dish for four people:
- 500 gr of trennette
- 25 gr of basil leaves
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
- 1/2 glass of extra virgin olive oil
- salt as required.
In addition you can also use other cheeses such as Sardinian pecorino. This helps when you come to mix the sauce.
The preparation
The first thing to do is to prepare the pesto. After the basil leaves have been carefully washed and dried, they must be placed in a stone mortar and crushed. In this phase it is necessary to add the coarse salt and then the garlic clove. An interesting suggestion is to pound it by making a rotary movement. As a last step, add pine nuts and oil. In the meantime, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water. When it is ready, it must be drained. Finally add the pesto to the pasta.
Many dishes that are part of the Italian culinary tradition are particularly linked to their region of origin. Even with regard to certain condiments, their name clearly identifies them with the place where they come from. If you want to know other interesting recipes of this region we advise you also to read this article. Now that you know the recipe for trenette al pesto you just have to get to work and prepare this delicious dish.
