Go Back

Sicilian Pesto from Trapani

A tricolored sauce, pesto alla Trapanese is an authentic recipe from western Sicily. Sailors, who came from the east, introduced pesto to the island. People in Trapani then replaced the typical ingredients of the Genoese recipe with their local products. Along with fresh tomatoes, they use almonds instead of pine nuts. Rich and flavorful, pesto alla Trapanese is well paired with every kind of pasta either hot or cold. Exquisite, indeed! 
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword homemade pesto, italian pesto, perfect pesto, pesto alla trapanese, trapani
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Print

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of pasta to your taste, either short or long  (454g)
  • 1 cup of extra fresh basil 
  • 2-4  cloves of garlic 
  • 1 cup of peeled almonds
  • ½ cup tomato pulp (the less sour, the better)
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt
  • Pecorino cheese, grated
Servings 4 people

Instructions

  • In a food processor or in the mortar, blend or smash the garlic and almonds with 3 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of coarse salt until you have a smooth paste; 
  • Rinse and pat the basil dry; add it to the almond paste; 
  • Add the tomatoes and three more tablespoons of oil;
  • Pulse at low speed until you have a well-blended sauce. Pour in abundant (3-4 tbsp about) extra virgin olive oil and let sit; 
  • Cook the pasta in plenty of salt water according to the package instructions; 
  • Pour the pasta into a serving bowl; add the pesto and toss well until it has evenly coated the pasta; 
  • Generously sprinkle with freshly grated pecorino cheese; 
  • Serve hot or cold.