Chef Graziella
Agrodolce alla Siciliana
The sweet-sour sauce that proves Sicily is where East meets West, where Arab traders left their mark on Italian cooking. A syrup of vinegar and honey, studded with pine nuts and raisins.
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Pesto alla Trapanese
Created by
The other pesto, from Sicily's western coast, where Arab traders left almonds and a different way of thinking about basil. This is not Genoa. Do not confuse them.
Sauces & Condiments
Italian, Sicilian
Weeknight
Make Ahead
25 min
Active Time
0 min cook•25 min total
YieldAbout 1½ cups, enough for 1 pound pasta
The first useful thing to know about Italian pesto is that there is no single pesto. Genoa has its version with pine nuts and Parmigiano. Trapani, on the western tip of Sicily, has this one. They share basil and a mortar. They share nothing else.
Trapanese pesto carries the memory of Arab Sicily. For two centuries, Arab traders and settlers transformed Sicilian cooking, leaving behind almonds, couscous, and a palate for the sweet-sharp combination that defines this sauce. The almonds are not a substitution for pine nuts. They are the point.
The tomatoes must be raw, ripe, and added at the end. They brighten everything. The cheese is Pecorino, sharp and salty, never the gentle Parmigiano of the north. And the texture, if you do this properly with a mortar and pestle, should be rough, almost granular. A food processor makes paste. A mortar makes pesto.
Simple does not mean easy. You will work for this. Your arm will tire. This is how you know the sauce will be good.
Trapani's pesto dates to the Arab domination of Sicily in the 9th through 11th centuries, when almonds became central to the island's cuisine. Local fishermen adopted it as a sauce for couscous before pasta became common. The addition of raw tomato came later, after the New World fruit finally won acceptance in the 18th century.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
blanched almonds
Quantity
1/2 cup (about 2½ ounces)
fresh basil leaves
Quantity
2 cups packed (about 2 ounces)
ripe cherry tomatoes
Quantity
12 ounces
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
Pecorino Siciliano or Romano
Quantity
1/2 cup
freshly grated
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/2 cup
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| blanched almonds | 1/2 cup (about 2½ ounces) |
| fresh basil leaves | 2 cups packed (about 2 ounces) |
| ripe cherry tomatoes | 12 ounces |
| garlic cloves | 2 |
| Pecorino Siciliano or Romanofreshly grated | 1/2 cup |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/2 cup |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Large marble or granite mortar and pestle (at least 6 inches diameter)
- •Sharp knife for tomatoes
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the tomatoes
If using cherry tomatoes, cut them in half. If using regular tomatoes, cut a small X in the bottom of each, drop them into boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to ice water. Slip off the skins, cut in half, squeeze out the seeds, and chop the flesh roughly. The tomatoes must be at room temperature. Cold tomatoes make dull pesto.
- 2
Pound the garlic
Place the garlic cloves and salt in a large marble or stone mortar. Pound and grind until you have a smooth paste with no visible pieces. The salt acts as an abrasive. This takes two minutes of steady work. The garlic must be completely broken down before you proceed.
Two cloves is the maximum. The unbalanced use of garlic is the single greatest cause of failure in would-be Italian cooking. If you are tempted to add more, resist. - 3
Add the almonds
Add the blanched almonds to the mortar. Pound them into the garlic paste, grinding with a circular motion, until you have a rough, grainy paste. Some texture should remain. This is not almond butter. You want small pieces, not smooth puree. This takes five to seven minutes.
- 4
Incorporate the basil
Add the basil leaves in three batches, pounding and grinding each batch until it breaks down before adding more. Work the pestle against the sides of the mortar in a grinding motion. The basil will release its oils and turn the paste bright green. Continue until no whole leaves remain, another five to seven minutes.
Do not smash straight down. The motion is a grinding twist against the mortar walls. Bruising the basil is correct. Crushing it to mush is not. - 5
Add the tomatoes
Add the prepared tomatoes to the mortar. Pound gently to break them down and incorporate them into the paste. The pesto will turn from bright green to a paler coral-green color. This is correct. Work just until the tomatoes are integrated, not pureed. You want to see small pieces.
- 6
Finish with cheese and oil
Stir in the grated Pecorino with a spoon. Then add the olive oil in a slow stream, stirring constantly to emulsify. The pesto should be loose enough to coat pasta but thick enough to cling. Taste and adjust salt. The cheese is salty, so proceed carefully.
- 7
Rest before serving
Let the pesto sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before using. This allows the flavors to marry. To sauce pasta, add two or three tablespoons of hot pasta cooking water to the pesto, then toss with the drained pasta. The starch in the water helps the sauce cling.
Traditional Trapanese pasta is busiate, a spiral shape that catches the sauce. Casarecce or gemelli work well. Long pasta does not.
Chef Tips
- •If you must use a food processor, pulse in short bursts and stop while the texture is still rough. The machine makes paste in seconds. A proper pesto should have visible pieces of almond and flecks of basil. Texture matters.
- •Blanched almonds have their skins removed. Do not substitute raw almonds with skins. The brown skins add bitterness and ruin the pale color of the sauce. Sicilian almonds from Avola are ideal if you can find them.
- •Pecorino Siciliano is milder than Romano. If using Romano, you may want slightly less. Taste as you go. The cheese should enhance, not dominate.
- •In Trapani, this pesto sauces couscous as often as pasta. The Arab legacy runs deep. Try it both ways.
Advance Preparation
- •Pesto alla Trapanese is best used within two hours of making. The fresh tomatoes begin to weep and the basil darkens.
- •You may prepare the almond and basil base (without tomatoes) up to one day ahead. Refrigerate with a thin layer of oil on top. Add fresh tomatoes just before serving.
- •Do not freeze this pesto. The raw tomatoes do not survive freezing. Make Genovese pesto if you want to stock your freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 160g)
Calories
410 calories
Total Fat
39 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
31 g
Cholesterol
12 mg
Sodium
430 mg
Total Carbohydrates
8 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
9 g
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