Pasta Pesto Alla Trapanese Recipe

Sicilian pesto alla trapanese (almonds and sun dried tomatoes) served with spaghetti.

Pasta Pesto Alla Trapanese Recipe

This pesto alla trapanese is a collection of glorious ingredients that may make you raise an eyebrow, but once you try it, you will be hooked, and it makes the finest pasta sauce!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Anglo Italian

Keyword almond pesto, pasta alla trapanese, pasta trapanese, sun dried tomato pesto

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings Servings

Calories 954kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

For the Pesto:

50 g Blanched Almonds ¼ Cup
2 Anchovy Fillets
1 tablespoon Capers
20 g Golden Raisins 2 tablespoon
1 Large Garlic Clove
25 g Packed Basil Leaves ½ Cup
50 g Drained Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil ¼ Cup
30 g Parmesan Cheese ⅓ Cup
75 ml Olive Oil ⅓ Cup (I use the olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes)

For the Pasta:

200 g Spaghetti 7oz
1½ teaspoon Salt (depending on the size of your pan)

Instructions

Place the almonds in a hot, dry pan and toast them for 3-4 minutes, ensuring that you keep them moving all of the time. Cool the almonds for 5 minutes.
I usually use the same pan I am going to cook the pasta in.
Bring a saucepan (20cm or 8") of water to a boil and season generously with salt, 1½ teaspoons for a pan this size and then cook the pasta until al dente.
Add the almonds to a blender with the anchovy, capers, raisins, garlic cloves, basil and parmesan cheese.
Pour over the olive oil and then blend to form a pesto.
I like to transfer this to a pestle and mortar to finish off, adding a little more olive oil if needed to get a pleasing texture.
Drain the pasta, reserving around 75ml (⅓ cup) of the cooking liquid.
Return the pasta to the saucepan, add the pesto, then stir, adding as much of the reserved pasta water needed to form a silky coating.

Video

Nutrition