Easy and Delicious Sicilian Pesto Recipe (Pesto alla Trapanese)

If you think pesto is supposed to be green, think again. Sicilian Pesto (Pesto alla Trapanese or pesto alla siciliana) is a fresh and lively sauce that will change the way you think about pesto. Enjoy it with bread, pasta, or with a protein of your choice.

Genovese pesto (Pesto alla Genovese) may be famous, but it's southern cousin from Sicily deserves more attention. Sicilian pesto combines fresh tomatoes, almonds, basil leaves and mint. Mint is an interesting addition, and it sort of makes sense. Sicily has been influenced by Middle Eastern and North African cuisine for centuries and mint is a staple ingredient in Arab and North African dishes.

This Trapanese pesto recipe comes together in no time and can be enjoyed with pasta, as a dip, or with toasted bread.

If you love pesto, do check out my Basil Walnut pesto and Garlic Scape pesto. My book, Seed to Table, features a Spring pesto that uses raw pistachios, mint and arugula as well as an Autumn Kale pestp.

A Note on Seasonality

This is a wonderful summertime recipe that will help you put a dent into those cherry tomatoes your garden is pumping out on the regular! For more information on what you can do with all those cherry tomatoes, check out my blog post on 10 things to do with your cherry tomatoes.

That being said, there's nothing stopping you making this recipe year-round. But during the summer months, the farmers market will have the best cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients and Notes

There isn't much information about this recipe from a historic sense. I have adapted a recipe from Marcella Hazan, famed Italian chef and cookbook author, to include ingredients from my garden.

For this recipe, you will need:

• Blanched almonds (slivered or whole, use Sicilian almonds if you can get them)
• Cherry tomatoes
• Basil
• Mint
• Garlic
• Good quality extra-virgin olive oil
• Pecorino romano and/or Parmigiano-reggiano (you can use a 50/50 combination)
• Salt and black pepper
• Chili or red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)

Substitutions

If you don't have a certain ingredient, don't fret. This recipe is adaptable and can be modified to your taste:

• Use cashews or even pine nuts instead of the almonds
• If you don't have cherry tomatoes, you can use plum or roma tomatoes.
• I recommend a mix of basil and mint, but you can certainly play around with the ratio or use a single herb
• Veganize it by using a vegan parmesan cheese substitute!

Equipment

Traditionally speaking, using a mortar and pestle is ideal, as it allows you to gently combine the ingredients and not bruise the herbs too much. However, unless you have the time, a food processor is probably more suitable.

You will also need storage containers like mason jars.

How to Make Sicilian Pesto

1. To your food processor, add almonds, garlic, cheese, extra virgin olive oil and chili if using. Pulse to break up the almonds and combine into a coarse mixture.
2. Add cherry tomatoes and herbs to your food processor and pulse until you achieve your desired texture. A little chunky crunch from the almonds is definitely a good thing, but if you prefer a smooth sauce, process further.
3. If the pesto is too wet, add more almonds and process. If the sauce is too dry, add more tomatoes or olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Transfer your pesto to mason jars or glass jars and store in the refrigerator if not using right away.

Serving

There are many ways to use this Pesto alla Trapanese:

• Pair it with linguine or your favorite pasta
• Use it as a spread on grilled bread, bruschetta style!
• Add it to your crudité or cheese board as a dip for vegetables
• Use it on pizza

Make Ahead and Storage

This recipe can be made a day or two before you plan to serve it, however, I still recommend making it fresh. As the pesto sauce sits, the basil may oxidize the sauce may lose its bright color. Let's be honest, fresh is best!

If you are not using the pesto right away, store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The acid in the tomatoes will help keep it fresh and lively. Do not freeze this pesto, as fresh tomatoes do not freeze/thaw well.

Expert Tips

• If you want to make this sauce extra special, you can blanch your tomatoes and peel them. Removing the peel produces a finer Sicilian pesto, but this is completely optional!
• Toasting the almonds is another way to add complex flavor to this great recipe. You can do this by dry roasting them in a small frying pan on medium heat, stirring constantly until their brown lightly.

FAQ

Check out These Other Pesto Recipes

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