This is a recipe typically from Sicily, I wanted to try it when we visited but never had the chance. It is a simple and delicious pesto bursting with flavor from the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and toasted almonds. We served it with short pasta but it would go well also with spaghetti.

Trapanese Pesto

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil

400 grams of tinned chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup of blanched almonds

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup olive oil

red pepper flakes to taste

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 170C/350F and toast almonds for 8 minutes, they should be just beginning to brown. Boil water and cook pasta until “al dente” as indicated on the package. Once toased, add almonds, garlic, sundried tomatoes, tinned tomatoes, basil, olive oil and red pepper in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is creamy and there no chunks of almonds or tomatoes.

Once pasta is ready, mix with hot pasta and served topped with freshly grated Parmesan.