Trofie with Pesto

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the 12 oz trofie pasta and cook until al dente, about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, make the pesto: in a food processor, combine the 2 cups basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1 garlic clove, and 1 tsp salt. Pulse until finely chopped.

Step 3

With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the 1/2 cup olive oil until the pesto is smooth and bright green, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Step 4

Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot.

Step 5

Stir the pesto into the hot pasta, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce until it coats the noodles evenly, about 1-2 minutes.

Step 6

Serve immediately, topped with extra grated Parmesan and a few fresh basil leaves if desired.