I have to be honest and say that I have never had Pesto alla Trapanese but with all of these beautiful tomatoes and basil from the market I was inspired to try something new. There is a recipe for Trapanese in the Vedge cookbook and of course Lidia Bastianich, the famous Italian chef and restauranteur, has her own recipe. So after doing some research and experimenting, this is my take on a basically raw, seedy tomato sauce. It is really a perfect farmer’s market summer dish.
Pesto alla Trapanese
2 cups fresh tomatoes (I used the mix pictured here)
A big handful of fresh basil, about 12 leaves
1/4 cup raw almonds
1 big clove of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil, optional
Place all ingredients into the food processor and process until a sauce forms. It is kind of more saucy than pesto-y but you can adjust the nuts, basil and garlic to your liking. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
When ready to make a meal out of it, boil up some spaghetti or linguine and toss the hot pasta with the pesto. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top for garnish and crunch. Enjoy!