Pesto Siciliano

Pesto Siciliano
Another Southern Italian
Pesto Masterpeice

Pesto Siciliano or Trapanese Pesto marries all the best of summer fresh flavors from Italy's Southern region into this pasta sauce recipe.

When I first started writing about pesto sauce recipes, I found so many beautiful variations of the traditional pesto made with basil.

Then I was lucky enough to have a few Southern Italian friends point out that pesto, coming from the Italian verb pestare; meaning to crush, can be anything and not just basil.

They told me about this small town on the west coast of Sicily named Trapani, home to pesto Trapanese. Also known to some as Siclian style pesto.

With an ancient Arab influence through out the Southern area of Italy there is no doubt they had their hand in the way this regions food has evolved. That influence is present in this sauce.

Pesto sauce to me is a celebration of light, refreshing summer food. Whether it's green or red, made with bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes or your traditional Genovese pesto they all speak out, bright and brilliant flavor.

Just as in this Pesto made with Almonds and Mint leading the way, then fresh ripe San Marzano tomatoes the sweetest in the world and garlic soon to follow. What a combination!

I love to use Rotini pasta or Fusilli pasta shapes. The sauce wraps around the pasta in those little spirals allowing the pesto to grab on to every little curve.

Start with:

2 cups fresh mint leaves
2 cloves of fresh garlic
4 plum tomatoes skinned and seeded
2-3 ounces of blanched almonds
cup of Pecorino cheese shredded or grated
tsp crushed red peppers
Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Add all the Almonds and mint to the food processor and blend until smooth.

Now add the remaining ingredients except the Olive Oil to a food processor and blend them until smooth.

Pour out the mixture into a bowl, drizzle Olive Oil and mix in by hand with a spoon.

The way to serve a pesto pasta is drain freshly made pasta and stir in the pesto. That will heat the sauce.