Sicilian Pasta Pesto alla Trapanese with Almonds

Pesto alla trapanese is a glorious Sicilian recipe made with almonds, sun-dried tomatoes and basil, it makes for the best pasta sauce.

It’s quick too, you can easily make this in the amount of time that it takes to boil pasta… 20 minute dinner anyone?

Sicilian Almond Pesto

I am coming over all “The Sound of Music” with this pesto alla trapanese recipe because it really is a list of so many of my favourite things.

The ingredient list reads basil, almonds, anchovies, capers, raisins, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and Parmesan cheese.

There are many variations on this and I am sure many arguments are to be had, but I care for none of that nonsense!

Admittedly, it’s a combination that may not sound like a natural fit. But my gosh does this taste good when it is combined!

I had no idea that the Sicilians had been combining them into a pesto for centuries until a good friend mentioned it to me!

I love pesto and have “a few” here already. Everything from wild garlic pesto to red sun-dried tomato pesto and classic basil pesto to rocket pesto that I use on a goat cheese pizza and a pea pesto!

This is by far my favourite and it is the best pesto to serve with plain pasta in my opinion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will this homemade pesto store?

If you store it in the fridge in a jar under a layer of oil this should be fine in the fridge for around 1 week.

I personally prefer to make this fresh each time.

Can you freeze pesto?

The internet says yes, I tried it to verify and I’m honestly not happy with the results.

The texture became grainy and the flavours became incredibly dull and for that reason, I’ll not do it again!

Is it better to make pesto in a blender or a pestle and mortar?

If you ignore all practicality and are only interested in results then a pestle and mortar every time.

This is because pounding a pesto gets the oils flowing in the nuts and herbs which means more flavour. A blender cuts them which is very different.

I tend to blend first and then finish in a pestle and mortar for a few minutes.

Do I have to use my best olive oil?

I honestly usually use the olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes for this recipe, so no!

Serving Suggestions

In terms of serving this with pasta I usually use spaghetti with pesto alla trapanese. However, it is traditionally associated with a corkscrew-shaped pasta called busiate.

As for sides then I typically don’t stray much further away than a nice cheesy garlic bread. Mainly because my wife would hurt me!

But don’t get tunnel-visioned, I’ve used this pesto in everything from my pesto cod pasta recipe to sticking it in a cheese toastie!

It is also exceptionally good spread on grilled lamb chops, mackerel fillets or stuffed and rolled in some pork tenderloin.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Stovetop.
• 20cm or 8″ saucepan.
• Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
• Mini blender and or pestle and mortar.
• Sieve or colander.
• Stirring and serving implements.