Name: Trofie with potatoes, beans and pistachio pesto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 500 gm dried trofie (see note); 1 large sebago potato (about 275gm), cut into 1cm dice; 175 gm butter beans, cut into 3cm pieces; 175 gm green beans, cut into 3cm pieces; 20 gm butter, diced; Pistachio pesto; 1 cup basil, plus extra leaves to serve (firmly packed); 185 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¾ cup); 30 gm pistachio nuts, plus extra, crushed, to serve; 3 tbsp finely grated pecorino, plus extra to serve; 2 small garlic cloves

You can’t go wrong with pesto pasta. In this take on the Ligurian classic, we’ve swapped pine nuts for pistachios and we think it’s better – don’t tell Nonna.

Ingredients

500 gm dried trofie (see note)

1 large sebago potato (about 275gm), cut into 1cm dice

175 gm butter beans, cut into 3cm pieces

175 gm green beans, cut into 3cm pieces

20 gm butter, diced

Pistachio pesto

1 cup basil, plus extra leaves to serve (firmly packed)

185 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¾ cup)

30 gm pistachio nuts, plus extra, crushed, to serve

3 tbsp finely grated pecorino, plus extra to serve

2 small garlic cloves

Method

1.For pistachio pesto, process ingredients in a food processor until smooth and season to taste.

2.Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente, adding potato in the last 3 minutes and beans in the last minute (8-10 minutes). Drain, reserving 40ml cooking water, and return pasta and water to pan. Add pesto, toss to combine and season to taste. Serve hot topped with crushed pistachio nuts, basil and grated pecorino.

Trofie is available from select delicatessens. If it’s unavailable, substitute another short dried pasta, such as penne or ziti.
Notes

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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Styling by Emma Knowles

Ingredients

Method

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