Pesto Vernazza Style

During our trip to Italy in 2010, I had the most amazing pesto in Vernazza. The Cinque Terre region is the birthplace of pesto and they have perfected it! I had it for dinner both nights and the second night was even better than the first! While I can’t remember the restaurant names, I’ll never forget the locations. In the photo below, the restaurant we ate at the second night is located just above my head and to the right…did you get that? I know I have their business card somewhere, so I’ll have to look. I guess I gushed a bit, because the owner even offered to give me a cooking lesson. Unfortunatly we were leaving the next morning, so I couldn’t take him up on the offer.

So why was it so amazing? The fresh pesto was served over trofie, a pasta made from flour with a bit of potato. It was designed specifically for pesto and I can’t find it anywhere in the states. Tossed with the pasta were chopped green beans and chopped potatoes. It was simply delicious! I bought a jar of pesto to take home and didn’t even think that it would be considered a liquid. Sadly it was confiscated at security.

Close up of trofie pasta.

Since it was October, I had to wait until the following summer to plant basil and make my own pesto. Here is a link to a simple recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/. As I mentioned, I can’t find trofie pasta anywhere in the states, so we use small gnocci instead. I'll also substitute walnuts, because pine nuts are crazy expensive. I like to make large batches of pesto and freeze in ice cube trays. That way we can enjoy it long into winter. A quick meal is pulling out 4-5 cubes of pesto, cook the gnocchi and toss over pesto cubes. Then steam a few chopped green beans and microwave a few small red potatoes (chop after). Toss it all together and in less than 10 minutes you have a pesto Vernazza style. Yum!

Side Note: I have never tasted focaccia like the kind I had in Vernazza. It was simply amazing. I was addicted. Especially the version that had olives on it. I tried to recreate it at home, but it didn’t turn out the same. Guess we’ll just have to go back!