Pesto alla Trapenese

10 INGREDIENTS • 5 STEPS • 25MINS

Pesto alla Trapenese

Pesto alla Trapenese is a Sicilian tomato-based pesto sauce that is bright, fresh, and light. It's an easy tomato and almond-based pesto that is a great weeknight meal!
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Pesto alla Trapenese is a Sicilian tomato-based pesto sauce that is bright, fresh, and light. It's an easy tomato and almond-based pesto that is a great weeknight meal!
author_avatar
Milk & Cardamom
Hi, I'm Hetal, welcome to Milk & Cardamom! I'm a past MasterChef contestant living in sunny San Francisco where I cook up spectacular flavours mostly inspired by the flavours of India
http://www.milkandcardamom.com/

25MINS

Total Time

Ingredients

Servings
2
us / metric
Pasta
1.5 lb
Pasta
I used spaghetti
Unsalted Slivered Almonds
1/3 cup
Unsalted Slivered Almonds
preferably toasted
Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup
Parmesan Cheese
broken into pieces
Garlic
2 cloves
Garlic
Cherry Tomato
2 cups
Cherry Tomatoes
about 10 oz
or Grape Tomato
Fresh Basil Leaf
1/2 cup
Fresh Basil Leaf
about 22 leaves
Olive Oil
4 Tbsp
Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
plus more to taste
Salt
to taste
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
to taste
Ground Black Pepper

Nutrition Per Serving

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Calories
1793
Fat
50.5 g
Protein
63.3 g
Carbs
267.6 g
Love This Recipe?
author_avatar
Milk & Cardamom
Hi, I'm Hetal, welcome to Milk & Cardamom! I'm a past MasterChef contestant living in sunny San Francisco where I cook up spectacular flavours mostly inspired by the flavours of India
http://www.milkandcardamom.com/

Author's Notes

Serves 2-4 people.

If you have any leftover pesto, you can freeze it in an airtight container or store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

To make this recipe nut-free, use sunflower seeds instead of almonds. To make it Gluten-Free, use Gluten-Free pasta, and to make it vegan, use nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan instead of parmesan.

Cooking Instructions

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step 1
Bring salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add Pasta (1.5 lb) and cook according to directions until al dente.
step 2
While the pasta is cooking, add Unsalted Slivered Almonds (1/3 cup), Parmesan Cheese (3/4 cup), and Garlic (2 cloves) to a food processor or blender and pulse until fine, about 10-12 times.
step 3
Add Cherry Tomatoes (2 cups), Fresh Basil Leaf (1/2 cup), Olive Oil (4 Tbsp), Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (1/2 tsp), Salt (to taste), and Ground Black Pepper (to taste). Pulse until smooth, about 12 times. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
step 3 Add Cherry Tomatoes (2 cups), Fresh Basil Leaf (1/2 cup), Olive Oil (4 Tbsp), Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (1/2 tsp), Salt (to taste), and Ground Black Pepper (to taste). Pulse until smooth, about 12 times. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
step 4
Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta into a bowl and add enough pesto to cover the pasta.
step 5
Optionally, top with a little drizzle of olive oil. Use tongs to mix well and add a little bit of pasta water if the sauce needs to be loosened a little. Enjoy while warm.
step 5 Optionally, top with a little drizzle of olive oil. Use tongs to mix well and add a little bit of pasta water if the sauce needs to be loosened a little. Enjoy while warm.

Tags

Lunch
Date Night
Healthy
Shellfish-Free
Dinner
Vegetarian
Quick & Easy
Pasta
Italian
Sauces & Dressings
Vegetables
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