WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
There’s a very different kind of pesto found in the western Sicilian village of Trapani. Almonds replace pine nuts, but the big difference is the appearance of fresh tomatoes—not as the main ingredient, but as a fruity, sweet accent. We wanted a recipe for a clean, bright version of this sauce, not a chunky tomato salsa or thin, watery slush. For this uncooked sauce, fresh tomatoes were best. Cherry and grape tomatoes proved equal contenders, sharing a similar brightness and juiciness that were far more reliable than those of their larger cousins. We processed the tomatoes with a handful of basil, garlic, and toasted almonds. The almonds contributed body and thickened the sauce while retaining just enough crunch to offset the tomatoes’ pulpiness; using blanched, slivered almonds avoided the muddy flavor often contributed by the nuts’ papery skins. We added a scant amount of hot vinegar peppers for zing, then drizzled in olive oil in a slow, steady stream to emulsify the pesto. Stirred- in Parmesan was the finishing touch to this light, bright, and texturally satisfying pesto. While we prefer linguini or spaghetti, any pasta shape will work here. You can substitute ½ teaspoon of red wine vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes for the pepperoncini
SERVES: 4 to 6
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound linguini or spaghetti
- Salt
- 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 1 small jarred pepperoncini, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
- Meanwhile, process tomatoes, basil, almonds, pepperoncini, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper flakes, if using, in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With processor running, slowly drizzle in oil until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Add pesto and Parmesan to pasta and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed.
- Serve immediately, passing extra Parmesan separately.
