Recipe by Simone Saglia (from The Trading Post) Images by Brydie Thompson
Hailing form the western region of Liguria, the word trofie (pronounced trof·ee·eh) comes from the Ligurian word strufuggiâ, meaning ‘to rub’. This is a reference to how the dough is shaped by rolling and rubbing on a wooden board.
Pasta Dough
2 cups flour (250g)
1¾ cups semolina (250g)
1 cup water
Kneed all the ingredients together into a dough and set aside for 1 hour before use.
Slice the dough and cut into 1cm strips and roll these out into thin sausage shapes, approximately 5mm thick. Cut the dough sausages into 2–3cm pieces. Take each piece and, using your palm, quickly roll it away from you diagonally on a wooden board.
The trofie should start at the centre of your palm and get rolled to the outside of your palm. This motion will create a delicate spiral in the pasta. Alternatively, you can roll it, as Simone does, between your hands. (Head to our Facebook or Instagram pages to watch Simone in action.)
Pesto
1¾ cups extra virgin olive oil
⅛ cup pine nuts
5 cups basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
½ cup parmesan, grated
pinch of salt
In a blender or with a stick blender, blitz oil and pine nuts first, then add basil, garlic, parmesan and salt to adjust the taste.
Blitz until smooth, but not for too long. Place in an airtight jar and store in the fridge.
To assemble
Cook trofie in salted boiling water for about 7 to 8 minutes.
Strain and place in a bowl with a tablespoon of the cooking water.
Add a couple of tablespoons of pesto to the bowl and toss through the pasta.
Plate and garnish with basil or boiled green beans
Buon appetito!
Simone and Kylie Saglia own The Trading Post in Paengaroa, where Simone cooks authentic Italian food, including many beautiful handmade pasta dishes. We went along to learn to make two gorgeous summer pasta dishes from Simone, who says he never gets bored making and rolling pasta.
