Looking for the ultimate summer pesto pasta? This Sicilian-inspired version is sunshine in a bowl—light, vibrant, and bursting with fresh seasonal ingredients like basil, tomatoes, garlic, and almonds. It’s faster than takeout and a thousand times more flavorful.
Skip the heavy sauces—this is the summer pasta you’ll crave on hot days when ripe tomatoes are at their peak and basil overflows from the garden.
Why This Pesto Pasta is Perfect for Summer
Unlike traditional Genovese pesto made with pine nuts, this Sicilian basil pesto (Pesto alla Trapanese) uses:
- Toasted almonds for a nutty crunch
- Fresh tomatoes for brightness and moisture
- Aged pecorino for that salty tang
- No cooking required for the sauce—just toss and serve!
What You’ll Need
- Fresh Basil: Lots of it. This is a basil-forward dish, and only fresh basil will do.
- Ripe Tomatoes: We recommend datterini or San Marzano, but any sweet, ripe tomato works. You’ll peel and seed them to use just the pulp.
- Toasted Almonds: Toasting brings out their aroma—don’t skip it! Use peeled almonds for best results.
- Fresh Garlic: Preferably Italian red garlic, but any fresh garlic clove (never pre-minced!) will elevate the pesto.
- Pecorino Cheese: Aged Sicilian pecorino is traditional. If you can’t find it, use any sharp pecorino or even a blend with Parmigiano.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use the good stuff. Since the oil isn’t cooked, its flavor really matters.
- Pasta: Busiate is the traditional pairing for this pesto, but fusilli or casarecce work beautifully to hold the sauce.
Mortar & Pestle vs Blender
Traditionalists swear by the mortar and pestle—and for good reason. Crushing ingredients releases essential oils and flavors that a blade simply can’t. You’ll taste the difference.
That said, a high-quality immersion blender or Vitamix will do the job if you’re in a rush. The sauce will still be vibrant, if slightly less nuanced.
How to Make It: Step-by-Step
Prepare the ingredients
Lightly toast the peeled almonds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Do not burn. Finely grate the pecorino cheese. Score the tomatoes and boil them for 30 seconds until the skins loosen.
Peel the tomatoes, discard excess seeds and water, and set aside just the pulp. Chop the garlic and almonds coarsely.
Make the pesto (in a mortar and pestle)
Add the garlic and chopped almonds to the mortar with a pinch of coarse salt. Mash into a rough paste. Add the basil and grind it in circular motions until it forms a paste. The almonds help create friction to mash the basil more easily. Add the tomato pulp and continue mashing. Stir in the grated cheese.
Gradually mix in the olive oil to emulsify the pesto.
Make the pesto (with an immersion blender or blender)
Combine tomato pulp, basil, chopped almonds, garlic, and salt in the blender or immersion blender cup. Blend into a rough paste. Add olive oil and blend again briefly until smooth.
Tips for Success
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Cold basil can turn dark when crushed.
- Don’t over-blend. The sauce should have texture—not baby food.
Make It a Meal
Pair this ultimate summer pesto pasta with:
- A crisp white wine like Vermentino or Grillo
- A tomato and mozzarella salad
- Rustic Italian bread for scooping up leftovers
Want More?
Try the classic Pesto alla Genovese, our roasted zucchini pesto, or explore Flavia’s Italian recipe series on YouTube. And don’t forget to check out our best pasta cookbook for beginners Pasta Affair for more authentic Italian dishes straight from our kitchen in Italy!
Tools We Use: Meet the Best Italian Mortar and Pestle
If you’d like to learn more about the Italian mortar and pestle we use in our video recipes, check out our article on the Best Italian Mortar and Pestle!
After reviewing a bunch of marble mortar and pestles over the years—of varying sizes and materials—we whole heartedly recommend the Bembo Mortar and Pestle (affiliate link).
In this video recipe in this article, we use the 20 cm (about 8″) size of the Bembo marble mortar and pestle to make the most famous Italian recipe that calls for this traditional tool: Basil Pesto Genovese!
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Ultimate Summer Pesto Pasta with Basil, Almonds & Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh tomatoes any tomato with plenty of pulp; peeled with excess seeds removed
- 25 g fresh basil a large handful
- 40 g pecorino cheese semi-aged or aged
- 50 g peeled almonds toasted
- 2 cloves fresh garlic 'red' garlic is traditional but any fresh is fine
- salt pinch or to taste
- 40 g olive oil
- 320 g pasta Busiate is traditional. Or, choose fusilli or your pasta of choice!
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Lightly toast the peeled almonds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Do not burn.
- Finely grate the pecorino cheese.
- Score the tomatoes and boil them for 30 seconds until the skins loosen.
- Peel the tomatoes, discard excess seeds and water, and set aside just the pulp.
- Chop the garlic and almonds coarsely.
Make the pesto (in a mortar and pestle)
- Add the garlic and chopped almonds to the mortar with a pinch of coarse salt. Mash into a rough paste.
- Add the basil and grind it in circular motions until it forms a paste. The almonds help create friction to mash the basil more easily.
- Add the tomato pulp and continue mashing.
- Stir in the grated cheese.
- Gradually mix in the olive oil to emulsify the pesto.
Make the pesto (with an immersion blender or blender)
- Combine tomato pulp, basil, chopped almonds, garlic, and salt in the blender or immersion blender cup.
- Blend into a rough paste.
- Add olive oil and blend again briefly until smooth.
Serve
- Toss the pesto (uncooked) with cooked pasta.
- Busiate is the traditional choice, but fusilli or similar shapes work well.