Sicilian Basil Pesto with Almonds and Tomatoes: Pesto alla Trapanese
A traditional Basil Pesto with Almonds and tomatoes from Sicily: Pesto alla Trapanese! Perfect fast and cheap pesto for a summer pasta dish.
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
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.
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