Love basil but think pine nuts are too expensive? Or, maybe you just want to use those those fresh seasonal tomatoes in a tasty pasta sauce! Look no further than Sicily’s Pesto alla Trapanese! This Sicilian basil pesto with almonds and tomatoes is fresh, fast and perfect for making a summer pasta.
Basil Pesto with Almonds: Ingredients
There’s no single definitive recipe for Pesto alla Trapanese, but here are the traditional ingredients:
- Fresh Basil
- Fresh Tomatoes (peeled): such as datterini, piennolo, or San Marzano. Use only the pulp—remove excess seeds and water.
- Fresh Garlic: Use only fresh cloves, as Italians do. Traditionally, aglio rosso (red garlic) is preferred.
- Peeled Almonds: Lightly toasted in a dry skillet or oven.
- Pecorino Cheese: Sicilian pecorino is ideal, but any aged pecorino will work.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Since it’s added raw, use high-quality oil for full nutritional and flavor benefits.
How to Make Basil Pesto with Almonds and Tomatoes
If you’ve pre-toasted the almonds, this basil pesto can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta!
Best Tool: Mortar and Pestle
The traditional way to make Pesto alla Trapanese is with a mortar and pestle. Crushing the ingredients releases the essential oils from basil and garlic—something a blade just can’t do. The result? A deeper, rounder flavor that can’t be matched by a blender.
Other Tools You Can Use to Make Basil Pesto
If you’re short on time or tools, a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix) or immersion blender works well. The taste won’t be as nuanced, but it will still be delicious.
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). Here’s a look at it in action!
In this video recipe, 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!
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This means at no extra cost to you, PIATTO may earn a small commission if you click the links and make a qualifying purchase.
Sicilian Basil Pesto with Almonds and Tomatoes: Pesto alla Trapanese
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.