Pesto alla Trapanese

Ingredients

• 400g busiate or fusilli pasta
• 1 cup whole almonds, skin on
• 500g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated pecorino romano, plus extra to serve
• salt

Before you cook

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes.

Steps

1. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes, shaking often, until fragrant.
2. Let the almonds cool slightly.
3. Put the garlic and a pinch of salt into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
4. Add the toasted almonds and pulse until coarsely ground.
5. Add the tomatoes and basil and pulse until coarsely chopped, not smooth.
6. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil.
7. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the pecorino.
8. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions until al dente.
9. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
10. Toss the hot pasta with the pesto, loosening it with a splash of the reserved pasta water.
11. Divide among bowls and top with extra grated pecorino.