Easy and delicious Sicilian Pesto Recipe (Pesto alla trapanese)

5 from 5 votes

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) is a fresh and lively pesto that will change the way you think about pesto.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: 10

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

½ cup Blanched Almonds - Slivered or whole
1 Garlic Clove - Use more if you like
⅔ cup Pecorino romano and/or Parmigiano reggiano - 50/50 combination works well
⅓ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Pinch of chili flakes (or small fresh chili) - Optional
¼ cup Fresh Basil - Packed
¼ cup Fresh Mint - Packed
1 pint Cherry tomatoes - About 3 cups worth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

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.
Add cherry tomatoes and herbs to your food processor and pulse until you achieve your desired consistency. A little chunky crunch from the almonds is definitely a good thing, but if you prefer a smooth sauce, process further. Taste adjust seasoning.
If the pesto is too wet, add more almonds/cheese and process. If the sauce is too dry, add more tomatoes or olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Transfer your pesto to mason jars or glass jars and store in the refrigerator if not using right away.

Notes

If you want to make this sauce extra special, you can blanch your tomatoes and peel them. Removing the peel produces a finer pesto, but this is completely optional!

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.

Nutrition