Pesto alla Trapanese

Name: Pesto alla Trapanese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) pasta (trofie, trenette, or spaghetti); 2 cup fresh basil leaves; 1 cup ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped; 1/3 cup almonds (toasted or raw); 2 garlic cloves; 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper

Pesto alla Trapanese

Sicilian basil, almonds, tomatoes, and garlic blitzed into a vibrant sauce — not your normal Pesto!

Prep 10 minCook 10 minTotal 20 min560 calCuisine: Italian

DINNERPASTASAUCE

Ingredients

12 oz (340 g) pasta (trofie, trenette, or spaghetti)
2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
0.33 cup almonds (toasted or raw)
2 garlic cloves
0.5 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil
0.5 tsp salt
0.25 tsp black pepper

Steps

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, combine basil, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, Pecorino, salt, and pepper in a food processor.
Pulse while streaming in olive oil until you have a coarse, vibrant pesto. Stop before it becomes baby food.
Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Return pasta to the pot and toss with the pesto, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time until it lightly coats the noodles.
Serve immediately with extra grated cheese on top.