This version of pesto hails from Trapani in Sicily. It features almonds and, more unusual, tomatoes. There are many versions of this recipe-some use cherry tomatoes, some call for plum tomatoes, peeled, or not. Mortar and pestle versus food processor versus blender. 1 clove garlic versus 4. Cheese, or not. Well, here is another version- with regular sized tomatoes given a quick turn on the grill to add flavor and to ease peeling. If you don’t feel like heating the grill, see Chef’s Notes for an alternative to this. If you have nice sweet cherry tomatoes with tender skins, just use those instead, and skip the grilling, or blister them in a skillet filmed with a little oil. Use this pesto as you would with pasta, or try it on grilled vegetables such as peppers or with steamed or roasted cauliflower. Also great as a sandwich smear.
INGREDIENTS:
½ pound ripe, or two medium sized, tomatoes such as beefsteak 1 cup basil leaves, packed 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced ¼ cup, heaping, roasted almonds, cracked with the bottom of a pan, knife side, or chopped coarsely Salt and pepper to taste -Optional- 2 to 3 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano Olive oil as neededMETHOD:
Heat the grill until very hot. Scrape the grill to be sure it is clean, then lightly rub the tomatoes with olive oil. Grill the tomatoes, moving frequently, just to char the skin but not cook the tomato. As soon as the skin is blistered/charred over all, remove from the grill. As soon as you can handle them without hurting yourself, use a paring knife to pull the skin from the tomatoes. It is fine if there is still some char and skin left on. Cut the tomatoes into roughly 1-inch chunks and let cool completely.
Put the garlic, basil, and 1/3rd of the tomatoes into a food processor. Season with a little salt and pepper. Run 10-20 seconds, or just until the basil is mostly destroyed. Add the almonds and the rest of the tomatoes along with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse the processor to break up the almonds and tomatoes so you have a coarse puree. Taste and adjust seasonings if need be. You might want to add a little olive oil as well. If you wish to use the cheese, pour the pesto into a bowl and sprinkle with the cheese, then mix in with a spatula. Adding it into the food processor could cook the cheese and make the pesto lumpy and greasy.
The pesto is ready to use. Keeps 2-3 days.
Chef’s Notes:
If you don’t want to fire up the grill, cut a small “x” at the end away from the stem just through the skin. Cut out the stem, then immerse the tomatoes in boiling water for 5-10 seconds, or just until the skin starts to pull away from the cut. Rinse in cold water and peel the skin. Proceed as directed. If you have cherry tomatoes, just pluck the stems off and use them with the skins on. For Roma or plum tomatoes, check the skins; if they are tender you can just proceed with the recipe. If they are tough, slice off the stem end and make a cut just through the skin down the length of the tomato and dunk in boiling water as above. Some people use blanched almonds, and if you have them, use them. Just be sure to fry them in a little olive oil before-hand over medium heat to turn them golden and aromatic. If you use roasted almonds, taste to check that they are crisp. If they seem a little soft or the flavor is a little dull, roast the almonds in the oven or a dry sauté pan to heat them up and bring up the nuttiness.
If you want to, you can puree the lot to a finer texture by just leaving the processor on a few extra seconds. Just be careful not to heat up the basil too much or it will discolor quickly. If you go for a fine puree and it seems too thin, add a tablespoon of fresh toasted breadcrumbs at a time, thoroughly mixing them in before adding. Stop to check texture after each addition. You could also use cheese to tighten up the texture, but be sure not to overwhelm the dish with cheese.
Yield: 1-2 cups
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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