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Pesto Genovese with Trofie

Pesto Genovese with Trofie reads umami 5.6, salinity 5.4 and herbaceous 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian main, about 19 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.8 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.6 · Salinity 5.4 · Herbaceous 4.4 · Richness 4.3 · Nutty 4.1 · Allium 3.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Floral 2.2 · Sweetness 1.6 · Citrus 1.6 · Fruity 1.6 · Earthy 1.5 · Bitterness 1.5 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Sourness 1.0 · Heat 0.5

What's in it (12)

• pine nuts — 118 g
• basil — 237 g
• garlic — 6 g
• extra-virgin olive oil — 163 g
• parmesan cheese — 114 g
• pecorino romano cheese — 28 g
• salt — 5 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 1 g
• yellow new potatoes — 340 g
• fusilli pasta — 454 g
• green beans — 227 g
• red pasta sauce — 118 g

Time & effort: about 19 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 193.4 kcal, 7.5 g protein, 7.5 g fat, 24.9 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and lightly golden, 3-4 minutes. Let cool.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt it generously, so it tastes like the sea.
3. Make the pesto: in a food processor, pulse the basil, garlic, and cooled pine nuts until coarsely chopped, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is mostly smooth, about 30 seconds.
4. Scrape the pesto into a bowl and stir in the Parmesan, Pecorino, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper by hand — stirring instead of processing keeps the cheese from turning gritty and breaking the sauce.
5. Add the potato cubes to the boiling water and cook until just barely tender when pierced with a knife, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the pasta and green beans to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 9-11 minutes.
7. Scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta, potatoes, and green beans together in a colander.
8. Return the pasta, potatoes, and green beans to the warm pot, off the heat. Add the pesto and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, tossing until every piece is glossily coated, adding more reserved water a splash at a time if the sauce looks tight.
9. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Divide among warm bowls and finish with extra grated Parmesan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pesto alla Genovese — Italian
• Pansoti con Salsa di Noci — Italian · Liguria
• Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta — Italian-American
• Chicken Parmesan Sliders — Italian-American
• Margherita Flatbread Pizza — Italian

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, herbaceous mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.