Pasta with Trapanese pesto

Pasta with Trapanese pesto is a typical dish of the Sicilian cuisine, particularly from the area of Trapani. This pesto is a fresher and lighter variation of the more well-known Genoese pesto and is characterized by the use of fresh tomatoes, almonds, and basil. Here is the recipe to prepare Pasta with Trapanese pesto:

Ingredients

• 400 grams of pasta (such as busiate, casarecce, or spaghetti)
• 300 grams of ripe and firm tomatoes
• 100 grams of peeled almonds
• 1 clove of garlic (if desired)
• A bunch of fresh basil
• 40 grams of grated pecorino cheese (or other cheese as preferred such as Parmesan or caciocavallo)
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste
• Pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by blanching the tomatoes, removing the skin (making a small cut and then immersing them for a few seconds in boiling water), then remove the seeds and dice them.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large amount of salted water to a boil for cooking the pasta.
3. Prepare the Trapanese pesto in a mortar or mixer. Coarsely grind the almonds until you get a crumbly texture. Add the garlic (if desired), diced tomatoes, basil leaves, a pinch of salt, and grind until you get a homogeneous mixture. Emulsify by adding extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream.
4. Season with salt and, if you like, add a pinch of pepper.
5. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl, where you will dress the pasta.
6. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water following the cooking times indicated on the package to obtain al dente pasta.
7. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the bowl with the Trapanese pesto. Mix well to coat all the pasta with the pesto.
8. Add the grated pecorino and mix again, to blend the cheese with the rest of the ingredients.
9. Serve immediately, adding more toasted almond crumbs and fresh basil for garnish.

Trapanese pesto is ideal to enjoy in the summer for its freshness and lightness. You can also vary the recipe by adding other typical ingredients of the area, such as capers or olives for an even more Mediterranean flavor.

Curiosity

The dish has ancient historical roots, and it is believed that the use of almonds in pesto derives from the many commercial and cultural contacts Sicily had over the centuries with the Arab world, from which it inherited the use of many ingredients that are now keystones of its cuisine.