Raw Trapanese pesto, the original recipe of Trapani pesto, the Sicilian city from which the sauce takes its name. It differs from basil and walnut pesto because it is made with tomatoes, almonds, pecorino, basil, oil, and garlic and it is perfect for dressing both cold and hot pasta, short or long. Very easy to prepare, you can even make it in advance and store it in the refrigerator for several days.
The ideal tomatoes for this type of pesto are pachino, perini, piccadilly but cherry or other varieties also work, as long as they are ripe; you can use them raw or blanch them briefly to remove the skin.
The original recipe uses fresh red garlic, which is less pungent than white, and tradition dictates that all ingredients should be crushed in a mortar; however, for convenience and to speed up the recipe, you can also make the pesto with a blender (as I did!).
I assure you it is just as delicious, let’s try it together!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 248.38 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 8.17 (g) of which sugars 6.22 (g)
- Proteins 6.51 (g)
- Fat 22.28 (g) of which saturated 4.39 (g)of which unsaturated 5.56 (g)
- Fibers 2.59 (g)
- Sodium 1,357.25 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 115 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (pachino, perini, piccadilly)
- 2 cups basil
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup pecorino (grated)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (preferably red)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
For best results, it’s advisable to use a mortar, otherwise, you can blend all the ingredients in a food processor.
- Mixer
Recipe
Clean, wash, and dry the basil and cherry tomatoes, peel one clove of garlic.
Place these ingredients in the chopper mixer and start blending by pulsing intermittently for a few seconds.
Add the grated pecorino cheese, almonds, salt, pepper, and oil and continue blending until you obtain a thick and grainy pesto. Adjust the amount of oil according to your preference.
Your Trapanese pesto is ready, made in a moment with all raw ingredients, ready to be used as a sauce for your pasta dishes. Delicious, simple, fresh, and perfect in summer!
Storage and Tips
Storage: Trapanese pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a glass jar.
Tips: if you don’t have red garlic, you can substitute it with regular garlic, and for a stronger taste, you can add two cloves.
Note: if you prefer to prepare Trapanese pesto without tomato skins, dip them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain, peel, remove the stem and continue as per the recipe above.
Note: if you prefer to prepare Trapanese pesto without tomato skins, dip them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain, peel, remove the stem and continue as per the recipe above.
