Pesto Trapanese

Linguine with tomato, basil and almond pesto (Linguine with pesto Trapanese)

• 75g roasted almonds
• 350g ripe tomatoes, preferably heirloom and in season
• 40g fresh basil leaves
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled
• pinch chilli flakes (to taste)
• 3 tablespoons Monini Classico extra virgin olive oil
• 350-400g linguine
• grated aged pecorino cheese or parmesan cheese, to serve

Preparation

Place the almonds in a food processor and whizz until coarsely chopped. Set aside.

Score the base of the tomatoes. Bring a small pot of water to the boil. Plunge the tomatoes in the water and remove as soon as it returns to the boil. Peel the skin from the tomato starting from the point where it has been scored. Cut into quarters or eighths (depending on the size of your tomatoes) and remove the seeds. Place the tomato pieces in a colander and allow the liquid to drain away for at least 15 minutes. Finely dice the drained tomatoes.

Pound the garlic, basil leaves and a pinch of salt with a mortar and pestle to make a rough paste. Stir through the tomatoes, the almonds and chilli flakes (to taste); lastly, stir through the Monini Classico olive oil. You can also make the pesto entirely in the food processor, pulsing as you go so that the almonds retain some texture and pouring in the Monini Classico olive oil in a fine steady stream at the end.  Adjust salt to taste.

Cook the linguine in plenty of salted water according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Stir through half of the pesto so that the pasta is well coated then serve, dolloping on extra pesto and scattering plenty of grated cheese.