This pasta with pesto alla Trapanese recipe is a delicious alternative to the classic basil pesto alla Genovese. It’s made with only six ingredients, including ripe tomatoes and blanched almonds. It’s ready in less than 10 minutes. And as if all that wasn’t enough: no cooking is involved!
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Why you will love this pesto?
This pesto alla Trapanese is the perfect summer recipe, made with summer ingredients: fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, plus garlic, blanched almonds, a good pecorino Romano cheese (I made it with Parmigiano Reggiano, though), and extra virgin olive oil.
It’s traditionally made in a mortar with a pestle, but you can easily make it with a few strokes in a food processor. You’ll love it for all the above-mentioned reasons, but also because it’s simply delicious and far cheaper than the Ligurian pesto alla Genovese.
In addition, dinner can be ready within the time it takes the pasta to cook. And if all that wasn’t enough, this pesto has a longer storage time and doesn’t oxidize like the traditional pesto. Like many other of my Italian dishes and Mediterranean recipes that you’ll find in this blog, this pesto proves one more time that the simpler, the better.
The Sicilian tomato and almond pesto
Pesto alla Trapanese, also known as pesto alla Siciliana, is the pesto version from Sicily. This pesto is so good and Sicilian that the Italian Ministry of Agriculture recognizes it as Prodotti Agroalimentari Tradizionali Siciliani. Isn’t it cool?
It’s a typical dish from Trapani, a seaport on the island’s western shores in the Mediterranean Sea. There, Genovese ships and sailors going to the Middle and Far East used to stop.
Sicily is a nuts paradise. The Italian island is known for its pistachios and almonds. In the port of Trapani, they substituted the traditional pignoli (pine nuts) for the world-known Sicilian almonds and added another local product: ripe tomatoes!
What tomatoes are best for pesto alla Trapanese?
I discovered this pesto a few years ago, when I was living in Southern California, and wanted to give use to the many tomatoes my kitchen garden produced during the summer months. At that time, I used whatever tomatoes I had handy.
Through time, I learned the best variety to make this delicious Sicilian pesto is Pachino tomato, which holds a Protected Geographical Indication.
If you can get fresh San Marzano tomatoes in your area, don’t miss the chance. I usually make this pesto with fresh Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes. The only tomatoes I would avoid are grape and cherry tomatoes. The reason? Keep reading!
For this pesto Trapanese, I like to peel my tomatoes, hence: no cherry tomatoes! I do this by making a superficial cross cut on the skin and blanching them in boiling water for 30-45 seconds.
You’ll find a step-by-step guide on how to peel tomatoes in a minute. And trust me: peeling the tomatoes is worth every second and will result in a better texture for your pesto.
What is the best cheese to make this pesto?
The Sicilian cousin of pesto Genovese calls for Roman pecorino cheese. Today I’m making mine with Parmesan cheese, and it works perfectly. Traditionally, the previously grated cheese is added at the end once the garlic, almonds, and tomatoes are muddled with olive oil.
However, for simplicity purposes, I first grate the diced cheese with the almonds and garlic in the food processor. Then, I add the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and salt and process all again until the mixture becomes not a fine purée but rustic.
What pasta is best for pesto alla Trapanese?
Sicilians love to serve this pesto with busiate pasta, and also with casarecce pasta, which is the one I’m using today. Rigatoni is also one of my favorites, as well as linguini.
More recipes for pesto lovers
Craving for more delicious no-cook pesto recipes? Check these different variations:
- Classic pesto alla Genovese
- Arugula and walnuts pesto
- Sun-dried tomatoes and roasted almond pesto
- Salsa di Noci
Easy-to-make pesto alla Trapanese recipe
Following is the recipe card for this Sicilian alternative to the traditional pesto alla Genovese, a no-cook fresh pesto you’ll love once you try it. Buon appetite!
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Pesto alla Trapanese
Ingredients
- 1 package casarecce pasta
- Coarse kosher sea salt
- 1/3 cup Roman Pecorino cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano diced
- 1/2 cup skinless almonds blanched and slivered
- 3 garlic cloves pressed with the blade of a knife
- 2 cups Roma tomatoes ripe, peeled and diced
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Put the water for the pasta to boil, add salt and cook the pasta al dente, following the package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, process the cheese, almonds, and garlic in a food processor until medium crumbs are formed.
- Add the tomatoes, basil, a pinch of salt, and olive oil. Process until a rough, rustic purée is formed.
- Save some of the pasta water.
- Strain the pasta and transfer it into a bowl. Add the pesto and combine. If the pasta looks dry, add some of the pasta water and combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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