Ingredients & Substitutions
For the homemade trofie
Semolina flour: called “semola di grano duro rimacinata” in Italian, this is basically flour made from durum wheat, rather than regular wheat. It’s coarser and more yellow than regular wheat flour.Water: hot water is best. It helps hydrate the semolina flour.
For the vegan basil pesto
Cold water: to prevent the basil from over-heating in the blender.Basil: fresh.Pine nuts: to recall the flavour of the original pesto alla genovese. You can replace them with macadamia nuts.Almonds: best if without skin. You can replace them with pine nuts or macadamia nuts.Nutritional yeast: this is to replace the parmesan in the original pesto alla genovese recipe. This ingredient cannot be replaced.Extra virgin olive oil: try to get a good one if you can. Garlic and salt to taste.
Equipment
You’ll need a clean working surface. Usually, in Italy we use a wooden worktop as it has a good grip that helps when shaping the pasta. For the pesto, you need a blender.
Technique
Why do I mix the water and flour in a bowl and not on the wooden board?
Usually, people that make pasta in Italy add the flour directly onto the wooden board, make a hole in it, and add the water little by little. I used to do that too. But now, I find it faster, less messy, and more effective to do this step in a bowl. This way it is easier to contain the water, and it is also easier to hydrate the flour.
Why don’t I put salt in the dough?
I don’t put salt because there is no need. When you cook the pasta in salted boiling water, that is enough salt to add flavor to the pasta. Also, adding salt to the dough will make the semolina flour coarser and harder to work with.
Why don’t I let the dough rest?
Letting the dough rest helps relax the gluten, and this makes the dough easier to work with. That is generally true for most preparations, but in this case, there is absolutely no need to do it. On the contrary, I find it easier to shape trofie when the pasta has not rested because the dough is more humid and has more grip.
Why do I hold the pasta in my hands while shaping the trofie?
Most people first roll the dough into long snakes, then cut it into small pieces, then shape it into trofie. I don’t think this is the best way to do it because: 1) It takes longer to shape the pasta twice, first in snakes, then in trofie. 2)The dough ball dries out while you leave it on the side – even if you cover it – and it becomes more complicated to shape it. 3) The small dough pieces dry out so quickly that they loose grip with the wooden board and it becomes really hard to shape them. In conclusion my advice is to NOT let the dough rest, to keep it in your left hand at all times, while with your right hand take small pieces of dough and roll it directly into trofie. The other way around if you are left handed. Here’s a short clip of how to shape homemade trofie.
Tips
Use the right flour: if you do homemade pasta without eggs, we suggest you follow the old Italian tradition of Liguria and Apulia. That is, use 100% semolina flour. You’ll get a better texture, flavour and colour.Use a wooden board: traditional pasta making in Italy is made on special wooden boards. They are very inexpensive and they work best because they have good grip when you roll and shape the pasta. If you can’t find one, you can use a large cutting board instead.Use hot water: when doing pasta without eggs and with 100% semolina flour we recommend using hot water to help the flour hydrate. If you use normal wheat flour you can use warm water instead.Knead well: this vegan homemade trofie pasta requires vigorous kneading to work the gluten in the flour and get the right texture.
Frequently asked questions
Storage
How to store homemade trofie
How to store basil pesto
Variations
While pesto is the most traditional sauce for trofie, you can serve this pasta in many other ways. You can add string beans and potatoes to it if you want to make it even more traditional. Or you can serve it with a light fresh tomato and basil sauce.Add some extra vegetables to your pasta and it can easily be served as a main dish for dinner, maybe with an extra side dish or a side salad. We even paired the trofie with green pesto, dark green kale, and broccoli.If you don’t feel like making your own trofie, a good replacement for it “fusilli”, the screw pasta type that you find in the supermarket.
Serving suggestions
Once you’ve shaped the trofie pasta, it is a perfect base for an easy dinner. You can pair it with any of your favorite sauce; from pizzaiola to sundried tomato pesto. And if you, like us, want to increase your veggie intake, take a peek at these healthy side dishes:
Crunchy kale chipsSteamed artichokesCucumber and tomato saladBrussels sprout saladRoasted broccoliRoasted Brussels sproutOven-baked veggie trayConfit tomatoes
Similar recipes
If you love Italian pasta as much as we do, take a look at our other vegan Italian recipes:
Orecchiette with cime di rapa – broccoli rabe orecchietteCreamy mushroom pastaCacio e pepeVegan carbonaraArtichoke pasta bakeSpaghetti aglio olioPenne all’arrabbiataSpaghetti al pomodoro
What are your go-to pasta recipes in your home? We’re curious, let us know in the comments below!
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