Pasta Salad with Pecorino and Pistachios | #Simple

Trofie is a small and spiral-shaped pasta traditionally paired with pesto in the Italian region of Liguria. I use a similar twisted pasta, but slightly larger, called filei for this pasta salad because that’s all I can find in stores nearby. With more than one Eataly store in New York City, finding pasta in any shape from any region, is not an issue. In fact, shopping for pasta is getting to be a lot of fun. Moreover, Ottolenghi, the author of this recipe, says fusilli works just as well.

With pasta out of the way, most of the other ingredients are the good-old pantry standbys. At the peak of the basil season, making a pesto is no brainer. I like this pesto a lot for its simplicity. Load basil leaves, garlic clove, anchovy and olive oil in the food processor. Then blitz to form a rough paste. The idea of adding perinco and pistachios, together with more basil, over the pasta is particularly appealing. You can add any or all of these ingredients to your heart’s desire. Who doesn’t like a no-fuss, freewheeling style option?

What’s a pasta salad without the greens? In this recipe, the green is snow peas. Snow peas are not frequently used with pasta. I doubt that they use it in Liguria — the Italian Riviera, as well as the birthplace of pesto. But the unctuous color and freshness of snow peas are hard to beat. You have to trust Ottolenghi for this one.

Print Recipe

Pasta salad with pecorino and pistachios

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 200g/ 7 oz dried trofie pasta (or fusilli)
• 130g/2 cups snow peas, finely sliced on an angle
• 50g/2 1/2 cups basil leaves
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 3 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
• 75ml/ 5 tbsps olive oil
• 75g/ 1 1/2 oz pecorino, finely shaved (I use a vegetable peeler)
• 75g/ 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1

Half-fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta for 10-12 minutes, until almost al dente, then add the snow peas to the pot and leave to cook together for another two minutes, until the pasta is just cooked. Drain, refresh under cold water, drain again and tip into a bowl.

2

Put 30g basil in the small bowl of a food processor with the garlic, anchovies and oil, and blitz smooth. Tip into the pasta bowl, toss to coat, then add the pecorino shavings, pistachios, lemon zest, the rest of the basil, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Toss gently, just to combine, and serve.

Notes

Adapted from Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/apr/01/pasta-salad-recipes-spaghetti-rhubarb-ginger-pappardelle-pistachio-pecorino-orzo-kale-hazelnut