Pasta with Pesto alla Trapanese

By MooK

If you don’t want to purchase a whole jar of pepperoncini just to use one pepper and you don’t happen to have a jar already in your refrigerator or pantry, 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes is a fine substitution.

This recipe calls for a fair amount of extra-virgin olive oil, and since the oil is not used for cooking or otherwise subjected to heat, it makes sense to use a good-quality oil. Our favorite supermarket brand is Columela from Spain.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is what true Italian-made Parmesan cheese is called, and it is produced according to a strict set of standards. In a tasting of Parmigiano-Reggiano and domestically made Parmesan cheeses, the domestic versions didn’t even come close to matching the complexity and texture of the real deal. For the best tasting pesto, seek out Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is often sold shrink-wrapped in plastic in regular supermarkets.

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup slivered blanched almonds
• 12 Ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 Cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 small pepperoncini (hot pepper in vinegar) *
• table salt
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/3 Cup extra-virgin olive oil * *
• 1 Pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
• 1 Ounce Parmesan cheese , plus extra for serving * * *

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare Ingredients

Peel and mince 1 garlic clove. You should have about 1 teaspoon. Stem, seed, and mince 1 small pepperoncini. You should have about 1/2 teaspoon. Grate 1 ounce Parmesan cheese. You should have about 1/2 cup.

Toast Nuts for Pesto

Toast 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.
Cool almonds to room temperature.

Make Pesto

Process almonds, 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and pinch red pepper flakes in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, about 30 seconds.

Cook Pasta

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 pound pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta. Return pasta to cooking pot.

Sauce Pasta and Serve

Add pesto and 1/2 cup Parmesan to cooked pasta. Toss to combine, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing more Parmesan separately.