Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian Pesto With Almonds and Tomato

• portions: 4 servings
• temps total: 30 minutes

Ingrédients

3 medium cloves garlic

Kosher salt

2 ounces toasted blanched almonds (60g; about 1/2 cup); see note

35 large basil leaves (about 4 sprigs, weighing 25g total)

2 to 4 mint leaves (optional)

3 1/2 ounces (100g) grated cheese, preferably a milder aged pecorino or a 50/50 mix of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

1 pound (450g) plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded

1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 pound (450g) linguine

Instructions

If Using a Mortar and Pestle: Crush the garlic in the mortar with a pinch of salt to form a paste. Add almonds and beat and crush into a rough paste. Work in basil leaves and mint (if using), pounding and crushing into tiny bits. Smash in cheese, followed by tomatoes and olive oil. The final sauce should be a rough paste. Season with salt.

If Using a Food Processor: Pulse garlic with almonds until roughly chopped. Add basil, mint (if using), cheese, tomatoes, and olive oil and process to a rough paste. Season with salt.

Transfer 2/3 of the sauce to a large heatproof serving bowl.

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook linguine until al dente. Transfer pasta to serving bowl, reserving some of the pasta-cooking water. Toss well, adding more olive oil and pasta-cooking water, one tablespoon at a time each, until a creamy sauce forms that's not dry but also not soupy. Season with salt, if needed. If the sauce gets too dry at any point, simply add more pasta-cooking water to loosen it.

Serve, spooning remaining sauce on top of each portion and adding more cheese as desired.

Nutrition

• Taille de Portion: Serves 4
• Calories: 512 kcal
• Lipides Totaux: 30 g
• Lipides Saturés: 7 g
• Lipides Insaturés: 0 g
• Cholestérol: 26 mg
• Sodium: 681 mg
• Glucides Totaux: 45 g
• Fibres Diététiques: 6 g
• Sucres Totaux: 5 g
• Protéines: 19 g