Pesto alla trapanese
Pesto alla trapanese is a raw Sicilian sauce from Trapani made by pounding ripe tomatoes, almonds, basil, garlic, pecorino and extra virgin olive oil, traditionally served with twisted busiate pasta.
CKContributed by The Castruriali Kitchen · CastrorealeSee all their recipes →Ingredients
- 400 gbusiate or casarecce or spaghetti
- 500 gvery ripe cherry tomatoes
- 70 gblanched almonds
- 1 garlic clove
- 40 gbasil leaves
- 40 gpecorino, grated (leave out for a vegan version)
- 100 mlCastruriali extra virgin olive oilThe sauce is raw, so the oil is tasted exactly as it is.
- salt and black pepper
Method
Peel the tomatoes. Score the tomatoes, plunge them into boiling water for 30 seconds, then into cold water and slip off the skins. Halve and squeeze out some of the seeds.
Toast the almonds. Toast the almonds lightly in a dry pan for 3–4 minutes. Cool.
Pound or blend. In a mortar, pound the garlic with a pinch of salt, then the almonds, then the basil, then the tomatoes, to a coarse sauce. Or pulse everything briefly in a food processor: keep it rough, not smooth.
Finish the sauce. Stir in the pecorino and then the oil. Season.
Toss. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, keeping a little water and toss with the pesto in a bowl, off the heat, loosening with a spoonful of pasta water.