Trapanese Sauce
My 12 year old daughter Dot professes to loathe tomatoes but will happily eat them on pizza, cooked pasta sauces and in this Trapanese sauce. A pesto can be any pounded or blended sauce. I use a mini food processor for swift ease, you cold also chop or use a pestle and mortar if you prefer. I love peeling tomatoes if I have the time and the inclination, equally so, if you can’t be bothered, don’t. You will just end up with a less smooth sauce, up to you!? This is one of my go-to pasta sauces come the warmer weather, good served hot, but also when used to dress cooked pasta and serve cold as a pasta salad. Using tomatoes in the mix stretches the quantity of pesto made. I find making this pesto less expensive to make than pesto Genovese which is made using basil, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil. Good olive oil will elevate this sauce.
INGREDIENTS
40g skinned whole almonds
350g peeled, optional, tomatoes, seeds removed if using large tomatoes, I didn’t bother with cherry tomatoes
1 small bunch basil, leaves picked
1 – 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
80ml good olive oil
Plenty of pecorino cheese, finely grated, or use parmesan, to serve, optional
METHOD
Slit the tomatoes with a sharp knife down one side and place in boiling water for around 10 seconds. plunge into iced cold water and the skins should easily slip from the tomatoes. Optional process, I just have a thing for peeling tomatoes!
In a food processor, combine the almonds, garlic and basil and pulse until well combined and a coarse rubble. Add the tomatoes and blitz briefly to breakdown and loosen the pesto. Stir through with the olive oil and pecorino, then check the seasoning adding salt and pepper to taste then put to one side. Alternatively, chop the lot on a large wooden chopping board, or use a pestle and mortar, then add the mix to a bowl and stir in the olive oil, mixing to combine.
To serve, cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet and stir though with the trapanase sauce, adding splash of the pasta cooking water to loosen the finished pasta. Top with a little extra pecorino.
Stored in the fridge under a layer of olive oil, the sauce will last well for up to 3 days.