Pesto alla Trapanese

What You'll Need

Let's Get Cooking

1. 1

   Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the core and seeds, and place them in a colander to drain for 20 minutes.

   ~20m

   Use ripe, in-season tomatoes for best flavor; draining prevents watery pesto.

2. 2

   Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves; place in a food processor with almonds and ½ tsp salt, pulsing until coarsely chopped (about 30 seconds).

   ~2m

   Blanched almonds retain crunch—do not over-process.

3. 3

   Add drained tomatoes, basil leaves, mint (if using), pecorino cheese, olive oil, remaining salt, and pepper to the processor.

   ~2m

   Add cheese last to avoid clumping; taste and adjust seasoning.

4. 4

   Pulse until coarsely chopped and ingredients come together into a chunky pesto—do not blend smooth.

   ~2m

   Retain texture for authentic Sicilian bite; if too thick, drizzle more oil while pulsing.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, cook 400-500g pasta al dente in salted boiling water per package instructions; reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain, and toss immediately with pesto (add reserved water if needed for silkiness).

   ~12m

   Serve warm with extra grated pecorino.