Pasta al pesto

Preparation

1. 01

   Step 01

   Place the garlic slices and a pinch of coarse sea salt in the bottom of the mortar. Using a wooden pestle, crush to a smooth paste.

2. 02

   Step 02

   Add the pine nuts to the mortar and crush with the garlic to a coarse mixture. Do not grind too finely; it should remain slightly textured.

3. 03

   Step 03

   Add the basil leaves to the mortar a few at a time. Each time, crush in a circular motion, incorporating the leaves into the sauce while preserving their colour. Repeat until all the leaves have been added.

4. 04

   Step 04

   Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo to the mortar. Mix with the other ingredients to distribute the cheese throughout the sauce.

5. 05

   Step 05

   Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil into the mortar in a thin stream, continuing to mix. The pesto should reach a creamy, pourable consistency. It should not be too runny; it needs to cling to the pasta.

6. 06

   Blanching in boiling water

   Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. Cook the trofie in the boiling salted water for the time stated on the packet (approximately 8–9 minutes). Reserve about a cup of the pasta water.

7. 07

   stirring over low heat

   Drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the prepared pesto sauce on top. Adding the reserved pasta water a little at a time, stir over low heat for about 1 minutes. The pesto should be evenly distributed through the pasta; the sauce should be glossy and creamy.