A simple dish, pesto tomato trottole is full of flavor, thanks to the pesto. I absolutely love basil, as I think most people do, so adding pesto truly makes a dish for me. I’m also a fan of plain pasta, just with a little salt, vegan butter, or nutritional yeast added. This recipe uses only pesto and tomatoes to flavor the pasta, so the dish is fresh, delicious and satisfying.
If you are a fan of pastas which are good at holding sauces, you’ll enjoy eating trottole. Trottole is shaped like spinning tops, with plenty of little nooks for pasta, or pesto in this case, to get caught. I used multicolored trottole, made with durum wheat, tomato and spinach. With both the shape and the colors of the pasta, this dish is also pretty!
I love making my own pesto. If you don’t have access to pine nuts, you can substitute pecans or walnuts or any other soft nuts. This recipe includes toasting the pine nuts, but I also have instructions for roasting nuts here, if you use another type of nut. I add red pepper flakes to my pesto, often, to add a little bit of heat. For this recipe, you can also purchase jarred pesto at your local grocer, which is just as tasty.
Fresh tomatoes are best in this dish, but you can also use canned diced tomatoes. Just be sure to drain the tomatoes before adding, reserving the sauce. If you find the pesto is too thick for your taste, just add in the reserved tomato juice to the final dish.
Using about 17 ounces of pasta, this recipe makes 4 large main dish servings, or 8 side servings.
You might also like to trying my other pasta recipes, Slow Cooker Italian Tomato Pasta Soup and Fresh Crunchy Pasta Salad, or have a look at my Italian Cuisine section.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
main dish servings
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- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts or pecans
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic minced, or 1-1/2 teaspoons
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 17-ounce package trottole
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes cut, seeded, and cubed
- 1-1/4 cup pesto
- salt to taste
Ingredients
To make the pesto:
To assemble the dish:
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- Toast the pine nuts over medium heat until they start to brown. If using pecans or walnuts, heat them for about 8 to 10 minutes and remove them from the hot pan immediately once they are toasted.
- Combine basil, nutritional yeast, toasted pine nuts and olive oil in a food processor or blender and pulse to desired consistency. Add salt, lemon, garlic, and red pepper flakes (optional) and pulse a couple of more times to blend.
- Boil the trottole as directed on the package, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Slice the fresh tomatoes into bite size cubes.
- Return the cooked pasta, the pesto, tomatoes, and nutritional yeast to the pot. Toss to coat.
- Serve immediately. Delicious served with a bowl of olives and a crusty bread.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Leave any feedback in comments below. Also, share your comments on Instagram: @key_lime_coconut or on Twitter: @keylime_coconut. We love seeing hashtags #keylimecoconut and #keylimecoconutblog when you try our recipes.
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