Pesto alla Trapanese

June 30, 2018

Serves 4

  • 100 g of peeled almonds
  • 700 g plum tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped 
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • a handful of fresh basil or mint leaves
  • 70 ml of olive oil
  • sea salt and black pepper 

Start with toasting the almonds. Heat the oven to 180 C. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a baking tray or any baking dish. Bake the almonds for 8-10 minutes, the colour should be golden and make sure not to burn them otherwise they will become bitter.

Once the almonds have cooled down roughly chop them.

Now using a pestle and mortar grind the garlic with the almonds until you create a paste. Add the basil or mint leaves and carry on pounding until you get a consistency similar to pesto. Add the tomatoes and pound them briefly, just to crush them a bit more. Now gradually add the oil, season to your liking and stir the ingredients into a paste.

All that is left now is to boil some pasta (320g for four people), mix it with the Pesto alla Trapanese and serve