• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Pasta Project logo

  • Recipe Index
  • Italy’s Regions
    • Abruzzo
    • Aosta Valley (Valle d’Aosta or Val d’Aosta)
    • Basilicata
    • Campania
    • Calabria
    • Emilia-Romagna
    • Friuli Venezia Giulia
    • Lazio (Latium)
    • Liguria
    • Lombardy
    • Le Marche Region; the next Tuscany
    • Molise, Italy’s second smallest region.
    • Piedmont-Piemonte
    • Puglia
    • Sardinia
    • Sicily, the food and the pasta!
    • Trentino-Alto Adige (South Tyrol)
    • Tuscany (Toscana) the Food and Pasta.
    • Umbria, the green heart of Italy
    • Veneto
  • Pasta and recipes by region
    • Abruzzo
    • Aosta Valley (Valle d’Aosta)
    • Basilicata
    • Calabria
    • Campania
    • Emilia-Romagna
    • Friuli Venezia Giulia
    • Lazio (Latium)
    • Liguria
    • Lombardy
    • Le Marche (Marche region)
    • Molise
    • Piedmont-Piemonte
    • Puglia
    • Sardinia
    • Sicily
    • Trentino-Alto Adige/South Tyrol
    • Tuscany-Toscana
    • Umbria
    • Veneto
  • Pasta Types
    • Anelli or Anelletti pasta rings.
    • Bigoli Pasta from Veneto
    • Biricci pasta
    • Bucatini; the spaghetti with a hole!
    • Busiate
    • Caccavelle Giant Pasta Shells from Gragnano, Naples.
    • Calamarata pasta from Southern Italy.
    • Candele: Pasta candles
    • Cannelloni or Manicotti
    • Casarecce pasta from Sicily.
    • Cavatelli Pasta from Southern Italy
    • Conchiglie, Conchigliette, Conchiglioni.
    • Corzetti or Croxetti Pasta from Liguria.
    • Dischi Volanti Pasta (Messicani)
    • Ditaloni, Ditali, Ditalini
    • Elicoidali
    • Farfalle pasta: Butterflies and Bow Ties
    • Fettuccine pasta (lisce e rigati)
    • Fileja pasta from Calabria
    • Fresine pasta from Gragnano
    • Fusilli Pasta; long, short, homemade and hollow.
      • Fusilli Bucati Corti (short hollow fusilli)
    • Garganelli pasta from Romagna (Emilia-Romagna)
    • Gargati Pasta from Veneto.
    • Gigli or Campanelle pasta
    • Gomiti Elbow Pasta, a pasta with many names
    • Italian Gnocchi; Potato gnocchi and family
      • Canederli: Italian Bread Dumplings from South Tirol
    • Gramigna: Pasta from Emilia-Romagna.
    • Grattoni-grattini (pasta for soup)
    • Intrecci pasta.
    • Lagane pasta from Southern Italy
    • Lasagne or lasagna.
    • Linguine pasta from Liguria
    • Lombrichelli, hand rolled pasta from Lazio
    • Lorighittas Pasta from Sardinia
    • Lumaconi (snail shell pasta)
    • Maccheroncini di Campofilone from Le Marche
    • Mafaldine (mafalda or reginette)
    • Malloreddus (Sardinian Gnocchi)
    • Maltagliati Pasta
    • Mezze Maniche Pasta (half-sleeves)
    • Occhi di Lupo (wolf’s eyes) Pasta
    • Orecchiette pasta
    • Paccheri
    • Pappardelle pasta from Tuscany
    • Passatelli Pasta from Emilia-Romagna
    • Penne
    • Pici pasta from Tuscany
    • Pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta)
    • Radiatori (radiator shaped pasta)
    • Rigatoni, pasta with ridges.
    • Sagne Pasta from Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio.
    • Sardinian Fregola (fregula sarda)
    • Scialatielli pasta from Amalfi
    • Sedani rigati
    • Spaccatelle pasta from Sicily
    • Spaghetti
    • Spaghetti/Maccheroni alla Chitarra from Abruzzo
    • Strozzapreti
    • Tagliatelle
    • Tagliolini
    • Torchio Pasta (Maccheroni al Torchio)
    • Tortelli and Ravioli
      • Cjarsons ravioli from Friuli Venezia Giulia.
    • Trescatori Pasta from Abruzzo
    • Trofie pasta from Liguria
    • Tuscan Gnudi (ricotta and spinach gnocchi)
    • Vermicelli
    • Vesuvio pasta from Campania; shaped like a volcano!
    • Ziti and Zitoni Pasta
  • Pasta Recipes
    • Baked Pasta Recipes
    • Pasta with Poultry and Game
    • Pasta Salads and in Soups
    • Vegetarian Pasta dishes
    • Seafood & Lake Fish Pasta
    • Meat Pasta Dishes
    • Pesto and other pasta sauces
      • Alla Mediterranea (Mediterranean sauce and celebrations!)
      • Beetroot and Radicchio Pesto
      • Busiate with radicchio pesto
      • Busiate pasta with Trapanese pesto from Trapani
      • Casarecce with pumpkin and orange pesto
      • Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Casarecce Pasta
      • Fusilli pasta with black olive pesto and tuna.
      • Long Fusilli Pasta with Pesto Calabrese
      • Matcha Pesto for Pasta
      • Pappardelle pasta with walnut sauce and black truffle shavings
      • Pesto Pasta Liguria with Potatoes and Green Beans
      • Pasta with pistachio pesto
      • Trofie Pasta with Rocket Pesto Recipe
      • Tuscan pici pasta all’etrusca with asparagus
    • Special & Favourite Pasta Recipes
      • Baked Pasta Roses
      • Cinnamon Butter Gnocchi: Recipe from Veneto
      • Gnocchi alla Romana
      • Lasagna bianca with mushrooms and burrata
      • Spaghetti al Limone with Ricotta, Basil and Lemon
      • Spaghetti/Maccheroni alla Chitarra with 4 meat ragu Abruzzese
      • Stuffed Lumaconi (Lumache) snail shell pasta
      • Pasta with Nduja
      • Pasta al forno (pasta bake the Italian way)
      • Ricotta Gnudi with Black Truffle.
      • Tagliolini with Taleggio and Black Truffle
  • Restaurants and Pasta Companies
    • Agriturismo Il Romitorio, Tuscania, Lazio
    • Restaurant Dei Cantoni, Longiano, Emilia-Romagna
    • Pasta Mancini: Pasta From Field to Fork.
    • The Best Italian Pasta Ever: Pastificio dei Campi
    • Organic Pasta Makers Girolomoni.
  • SHOP OUR ARTICLES
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Italy’s Regions
  • Pasta and recipes by region
  • Pasta Types
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Restaurants and Pasta Companies
×

Home » Pesto and other pasta sauces » Trofie Pasta with Rocket Pesto Recipe

January 9, 2022

Trofie Pasta with Rocket Pesto Recipe

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

When fresh basil is out of season or hard to find, I love to make pasta with rocket pesto. Rocket (arugula) has a slightly peppery and stronger flavour than basil. But, the pesto is equally delicious and just as easy to make!

trofie pasta with rocket pesto (arugula)

Arugula, rocket, rucola, eruca, roquette..

Known by many names such as arugula in American English and rucola in Italian, rocket is a leafy salad vegetable that’s native to the Mediterranean. In fact, it grows wild in many parts of Italy, even all year round and is super easy to cultivate.

trofie pasta with rocket pesto (arugula)

Wild rocket is much more aromatic and pungent than the cultivated variety. But, it does have a marked bitter aftertaste that not everyone likes. So, I prefer to use cultivated rocket in this trofie pasta with rocket pesto recipe.

ingredients for trofie with rocket pesto on wooden board
Step 1 Gather your ingredients

Rocket as an aphrodisiac.

Italians have been eating rocket since the times of Ancient Rome. Interestingly, rocket started being used more as an aphrodisiac than a salad! The ancient Romans made use of it as an ingredient in love potions! In fact, they often grew it in soils embellished with phallic statues to honor Priapus, the god of fertility!

rocket (arugula) leaves and garlic cloves in food processor
Step 2 Add rocket and peeled garlic to food processor with a little olive oil. Pulse intermittedly until you have a rough paste.

In the Middle Ages, rocket was banned in monasteries because of its notorious fame. However, these beliefs may not have been unfounded. Researchers from the Department of Pharmacological Sciences of the University of Milan and the University of Bologna have made studies to verify the effectiveness of rocket as a sexual stimulant!

grated parmigiano and toasted pine nuts in food processor with rocket pesto
Step 3 Add the cheese and pine nuts. Pulse some more until pesto is right consistency.

Pesto in Italy.

When I first moved to Italy in 2003, I lived on pesto (store bought!) and fresh pasta, which meant my dinner was always ready in less than 10 minutes! It took me many years to try making my own. I don’t know why because it’s so EASY! Now I make all kinds of pesto, both traditional and more contemporary (see links below).

Pesto is only actually traditional in 3 Italian regions. The first is Liguria. Basil pesto comes from the region’s capital Genova. The Genovese had a great merchant navy which traded all over the world. Their ships often stopped to trade and for supplies in Sicily. Food history tells us that it was the Genovese sailors who introduced the Sicilians to pesto.

ready rocket pesto in food processor
Step 4 When your pesto is ready transfer it to a bowl or jar. Seal and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

So, Sicily is another region where pesto is traditional, although the Sicilians used local seasonal ingredients to make their own versions. You can also find pesto in Calabria and I guess the Calabrians got the idea from the Sicilians!

Different types of pesto

In recent years, pesto has become more varied. There are a number of contemporary recipes apart from this rocket pesto. Italians also make pesto with sweet peppers, olives, chicory (radicchio), parsley, mint and dandelion. Yes dandelion! I once ate that in a Michelin star restaurant! Pretty expensive dandelions! 

bowl of rocket pesto on wooden board

Pesto is great on other foods, not just pasta. You can put it on sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes or burgers; add it to seafood or soups or just use it as a dip. And I’m sure there are many other recipes which can include it. However, on pasta remains my favourite way of eating it and trofie are definitely my favourite pesto pasta partner! 

cooked trofie pasta in frying pan with rocket pesto
Step 5 Cook your pasta al dente, drain and add to the pesto.

Trofie are short twisted spirals of pasta from Liguria, the Italian region which gave us the traditional basil pesto Genovese! This pasta pairs superbly with pesto because the sauce really adheres to the pasta. However trofie are not the only pasta Italians eat pesto with. Spaghetti is, of course, a popular choice but so too is fusilli, maccheroni, gnocchi, trenette, casarecce and mezze penne.

trofie pasta mixed with rocket pesto in frying pan
Step 6 Mix the pasta and rocket pesto together well. Serve with more grated cheese if required.

Which ever pasta you use, don’t be afraid to make this rocket pesto yourself (the recipe is for either rocket or classic basil and pine nuts). It’s easy peasy and nothing beats using fresh ingredients!

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out. Please write a comment here on the blog, email me or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.

Your feedback is really appreciated!

Buon Appetito!

Trofie pasta with rocket pesto (arugula)

Other pesto recipes on The Pasta Project.

  1. Busiate pasta with Trapanese pesto
  2. Casarecce pasta with Sicilian pesto
  3. Long fusilli with pesto Calabrese
  4. Linguine with mint pesto and ricotta cream
  5. Beetroot and radicchio pesto

This recipe was first published in 2017 but has been updated with new photos and text.


trofie pasta with rocket pest (arugula)

Trofie with rocket (arugula) pesto

Jacqueline Debono
This easy pesto recipe can be used to make rocket (arugula) pesto or traditional basil pesto. Both are delicious served with trofie, the pasta typically used with pesto Genovese in Liguria.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian, Liguria, Mediterranean, Northern Italy
Servings 4
Calories 624 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4-6 handfuls washed rocket or basil leaves (60-70g) you can also substitute half the leaves with spinach
  • 50 g grana or parmigiano cheese (2oz) grated (vegetarians will need to use a vegetarian parmesan)
  • 1-2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
  • 5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil you may need more
  • 30 g toasted pine nuts (1oz) you can also use walnuts or almonds
  • salt for pasta and to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper. to taste
  • 400 g trofie pasta (14oz) trenette, fusilli, short maccheroni, gnocchi and spaghetti also go well

Instructions
 

  • Place the washed rocket or basil leaves into a food processor with the garlic and a little olive oil and pulse a few times.
  • Add the toasted pine nuts and grated cheese, season with pepper and salt as required and pulse one or twice again.
  • Remove from the food processor and more olive oil if necessary to get the consistency you require.
  • Put a pan of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once the water starts to boil (boiling the water whilst making the sauce will save time later).
  • When the water starts to boil again, add the pasta and cook al dente according to the instructions on the packet. (fresh pasta takes less time to cook than dried pasta)
  • Save a cup of pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and return to the pan. Add the pesto. Mix the pasta and pesto together. Add pasta cooking water if the sauce seems dry.
  • Alternatively, put the pesto in a deep frying pan, add some pasta cooking water to make it more liquid and then add the drained pasta. Mix the pasta and sauce together well and serve with extra grated cheese if desired.

Notes

You can mix ricotta into the pesto for a ravioli or cannelloni filling if you add enough ricotta.
I also sometimes add a handful of chopped cherry tomatoes. Just cut the tomatoes in half and add them to the blender with the nuts. Rocket pesto (or basil) can also be eaten as a dip, on toasted bread, as part of a pizza topping or dolloped on baked potatoes. All delicious ways to serve pesto.
You can keep the pesto in the fridge for up to a week if you keep it in a glass container with a lid and cover the surface with a thin layer of olive oil. (to prevent air getting to the leaves) You can also freeze it. 
To toast pine nuts, just dry fry them in a small frying pan for a couple of minutes. They brown quickly so keep an eye they don’t burn.
Keyword arugula pesto, pesto, rocket pesto, trofie

SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR LATER?

If you want to save this recipe for later, you can print it, bookmark this page or save it to Pinterest.

If you are interested in learning how to make other homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or checkout some recommended pasta making tools? All great prezzies for pasta lovers!


Filed Under: Liguria, Pesto and other pasta sauces, Trofie, Vegetarian Pasta dishes Tagged With: Liguria, pesto, quick and easy, rocket, trofie, vegetarian

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Andrew says

    January 24, 2022 at 9:07 am

    Conveniently, my local grocer had a great sale on rocket a few days after I read this recipe. So I made it tonight! I was a little skeptical that something as tasty as pesto could really be so easy to make at home, but as I was waiting for the water to boil with the sauce ready to go, realized it really was that easy!

    Compared to the storebought pestos I’ve had, which vary quite a bit, the standout differences were how non-oily this pesto is, and how fresh it is with the rocket leaves. I’m definitely going to make homemade pesto again, and try it with basil as well, though probably the 50/50 rocket/spinach suggestion next time to use up the rest of the rocket.

    One question is that on the silk handkerchief pasta recipe, most of the amounts are similar, but in the traditional method it mentions using 3 Tbsp of olive oil, whereas this recipe mentions 5-6. I’m guessing it’s just to taste, or does rocket require more than basil? I was referring to both recipes while cooking, and wound up with 3 Tbsp, but would probably add a bit more next time.

    Reply
    • Jacqui says

      January 26, 2022 at 9:43 pm

      Thanks for your comment Andrew, I’m happy you you enjoyed making this rocket pesto. Re the olive oil, I think the amount depends on what works for you. I wrote 5-6 tbsp for this recipe as that’s what I needed. In most recipes that call for basil pesto, I usually write as required. The amount of olive oil can depend on the type of basil or other leaves used (young/mature or soft/firmer) and the exact quantities of all the ingredients. Plus some people prefer less and some more.

      Reply
  2. Deborah says

    January 13, 2022 at 1:47 am

    This recipe for rocket pesto with trofie pasta looks so delicious. Like you, I fell in love with pasta with pesto. It is one of my very favorite ways to eat pasta. I would never have considered using arugula, but I am curious to try it now! Also, I have never seen trofie pasta. Can you share a place here in the US for a good brand? Or how to make it?

    Reply
    • Jacqui says

      January 14, 2022 at 5:18 pm

      Hi Deborah, thanks for your comment. I’m not sure where exactly in the US you can buy trofie but lots of well known brands make it. Di Martino, Garofalo and La Fabbrica della pasta di Gragnano all sell in the US (I don’t know if they sell trofie there). On Amazon.com, I also found some brands I don’t know who sell trofie in US one is Camp’Oro and the other is Pirro. I suggest you look on Amazon. For how to make trofie. This is a pasta I haven’t yet tried making but you can see how on Pasta Grannies or this Italian video (with English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M9bcCvznA4

      Reply
  3. Sara says

    January 10, 2022 at 2:44 am

    Such a delicious pesto so full of flavour, will definitely make again!

    Reply
  4. Kechi says

    January 10, 2022 at 1:21 am

    This looks very flavorful and bold! I love the you used arugula in this pesto!

    Reply
  5. Jill says

    January 09, 2022 at 10:07 pm

    Now I am craving pesto! I usually think of it a summer dish because I make it with basil from my garden. Thank you for educating me that I can use so many other ingredients to make it.

    Reply
  6. Eliza says

    January 09, 2022 at 9:33 pm

    What a great recipe! I love arugula, and this pretty bright green sauce is perfect with the al dente trofie pasta. Another winner from The Pasta Project!

    Reply
  7. Lauren says

    January 09, 2022 at 9:03 pm

    When we visited Italy, I fell in love with Trofie with pesto. Great recipe!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Buon giorno and welcome to my pasta project! My name is Jacqui. I’m originally a Londoner but in 2003 life’s journey brought me to the beautiful Veneto region of Italy where… Read More

Top Italian Food Blog

3rd place in Top 50 Italian Food Blogs Awards by Feedspot

Italian Food Blogs

Follow Me

Tags

Abruzzo baked pasta calabria Campania dried pasta Emilia Romagna fresh pasta fusilli gnocchi homemade pasta lamb lasagna lasagne Lazio Le Marche Liguria linguine meat pasta mushrooms Northern Italy orecchiette paccheri pancetta pesto porcini Puglia quick and easy ragu Ravioli ricotta saffron Sardinia sausage seafood Sicily Southern Italy spaghetti tagliatelle tagliolini Trentino-Alto Adige tuna Tuscany vegan vegetarian Veneto

Visit My Shop

In my weekly newsletters, I write about my life in Italy, Italian places, traditions and culture, as well as other foods not just pasta! As a Pasta Project subscriber you'll also get a FREE recipe e-book series! Plus links to the latest recipes and posts.

So, sign up now and get the first recipe e-books to download!

Privacy Policy

Footer

  • Legal disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright & Disclaimer/ Terms of Use

Copyright © 2022 The Pasta Project on the Brunch Pro Theme