Can I use a food processor to make the pesto, or do I have to use a mortar and pestle?

The mortar and pestle is the traditional method for making this pesto, and I think provides a much creamier taste. But in a pinch you can use a mini food processor — I swear by this one ad — you just will get a more uniform textured sauce.

Can I make the Pesto alla Trapanese ahead? How long will leftovers keep in the fridge?

Because of the tomatoes this pesto discolours faster than regular pesto, and because it is so quick to make I would recommend just making what you need as the pasta cooks.

What pasta shapes would work here instead of busiate?

If you can't get your hands on busiate for this pasta (find it online here !) trofie, gemelli or even fusilli would be good alternatives. This pesto would also be great with potato gnocchi!

Will toasting the almonds before making the pesto enhance the flavour?

Actually, for once please don't toast your nuts. The flavour you'll get won't authentically be Pesto alla Trapanese, and your pesto won't become as creamy.

Do I need to take the skins off the tomatoes before making the pesto?

Many recipes call for removing the skins from the tomatoes. I find this fiddly, and I think leaving them on adds more character and tomato flavour to the finished dish! Also, doing so adds more moisture to the tomatoes as they sit in boiling water, and that is not what we want for perfectly textured pesto!

Sicilian Tomato Almond Pesto Pasta (Pesto alla Trapanese)

Description

Pesto alla Trapanese – a Sicilian Tomato and Almond Pesto – is delicious folded through pasta for a speedy late summer dinner when you’ve got tomatoes in abundance. Also, made creamy with almonds not pecorino, it is happily vegan without any omissions or substitutions!

Ingredients

Scale

25g whole blanched almonds
1 small garlic clove
10g fresh basil leaves
140g ripe tomatoes
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
200g pasta, to serve
pangrattato, to serve

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Instructions

Cook the pasta as per the packets instructions in a pan of boiling, salted water. I usually start checking for doneness around the 12 minute mark.
Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the garlic clove and pound it in the mortar and pestle until none of the almonds are whole and you can no longer discern the garlic pieces.
Roughly chop and add the basil, pounding again until you’ve lost most of the chunks to the mixture.
Finely chop the tomatoes (this way you don’t need to take the skins off), discarding any wet chunks of seed. Again, pound into the pesto until roughly smooth.
Stir in the olive oil, and season the pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Don’t skip the pepper, I tried it during testing and my pesto always tasted flat without it!
Drain the cooked pasta well before stirring through the pesto. Top each bowl with panagratto and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

For almost instant panagratto if you have a mini food processor simply blitz a handful of croutons into crumbs!