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    Home » Recipes » Dips and Pestos

    Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian Pesto)

    Published: Jul 6, 2021, Last updated: Jul 6, 2021 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Pesto alla Trapanese is a delicious Sicilian pesto made with almonds, fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and Pecorino cheese. It's super easy to make and perfect tossed with pasta for a quick and delicious weeknight meal!

    An overhead shot of pasta with pesto alla trapanese

    If you're a fan of Ligurian Basil Pesto you're going to LOVE Pesto alla Trapanese. It comes from Trapani, Sicily and is packed with flavour from fresh tomatoes, nuts, cheese, garlic and basil.

    It makes the most delicious, quick and easy pasta sauce but can be used in so many other ways from dips, tossed in salads, spread on crostini and more.

    Better yet, it can be ready in 10 minutes or less! See the easy step by step recipe below with photos, tips and video tutorial, enjoy!

    Ingredients - what you need

    See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make this recipe plus some important tips on ingredients!

    An overhead shot of all the ingredients you need to make pesto alla trapanese
    • Tomatoes - we like to use cherry tomatoes for their sweetness but large tomatoes will work too.
    • Blanched almonds - the almonds need to be skinless so blanched almonds make things super easy. If you have almonds with the skin on you'll need to blanch them and remove the skins first.
    • Pecorino cheese - pecorino is traditionally used but you could use parmesan instead.
    • Garlic - always use fresh garlic, don't use dried!
    • Basil - a small handful of fresh basil

    Toast the blanched almonds (skinless) in a dry pan for a few minutes until slightly golden, let cool (photo 1).

    Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile cut a small X at the bottom of each tomato, once the water is boiling add the tomatoes and boil for 1-2 minutes until you see the skins cracking (photos 2-4).

    Step by step photos showing how to prepare tomatoes and almonds to make Sicilian pesto

    Drain the tomatoes and set them aside to cool for a few minutes then peel off all the skins and squeeze each tomato to remove the seeds and juice, set aside (photos 5 & 6).

    step by step photos showing how to make pesto alla trapanese from scratch

    Add the prepared tomatoes, almonds, pecorino, garlic and basil to a food processor and blitz to a fine pesto consistency, you can also use an immersion blender for this (photos 7 & 8).

    Taste for seasoning, I find the Pecorino adds enough salt but add it to taste, serve.

    If serving with pasta

    Boil the pasta until al dente and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the rest of the pasta and add it back to the pot. Add the Pesto alla Trapanese to the pot and use the pasta water a little at a time to mix it through so it coats the pasta evenly (you won’t need all of the water).

    Add salt to taste and serve.

    Ways to use it

    You can use this Sicilian pesto in any way you'd use basil pesto. The most common way to use it is to toss it through pasta for a quick and flavorful sauce but you can spread it on crostini and top with cured meats and cheese, toss it with salad, use it as a dip with some Grissini - Italian Breadsticks, use it in sandwiches, the list is endless!

    Recipe tips and FAQs

    • Score the tomatoes before blanching - gently cutting a small cross at the bottom of each tomato ensures the skins peel off with ease!
    • Consistency - if using the pesto as a pasta sauce make sure to reserve some pasta water to thin out the consistency you can also adjust the consistency with olive oil if using in salads.
    Do I need to blanch the tomatoes first?

    Yes, otherwise the pesto will be too wet and will have a gritty texture. Blanching tomatoes takes only 1 minute then the skins peel off with ease.

    How long does it last?

    The pesto will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Can I make it without a food processor?

    Of course, traditionally the pesto is made in a mortar and pestle so you can use that until you reach the desired consistency.

    A close up of pesto alla trapanese mixed with pasta

    More Sicilian recipes to try

    • Pasta Alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
    • Sicilian Pizza (Lo Sfincione)
    • Homemade Sicilian Cannoli (shells and filling)

    If you’ve tried this Pesto alla Trapanese or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST or sign up to our NEWSLETTER to see more of our delicious food

    Step By Step Photos AboveMost of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
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    An overhead shot of pasta with pesto alla trapanese
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    5 from 1 vote

    Pesto alla Trapanese

    Pesto alla Trapanese is a delicious Sicilian pesto made with almonds, fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and Pecorino cheese. It's super easy to make and perfect tossed with pasta for a quick and delicious weeknight meal!
    Course sauces and dressings
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 8 minutes
    Cook Time 2 minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 152kcal
    Author Emily Kemp

    Ingredients

    • 20-22 cherry tomatoes (200g/7oz)
    • ½ cup blanched almonds (75g)
    • ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese (30g)
    • ⅓ cup fresh basil (6-10 large leaves)
    • 1 clove garlic

    Instructions

    • Toast the blanched almonds (skinless) in a dry pan for a few minutes until slightly golden, let cool.
    • Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile cut a small X at the bottom of each tomato, once the water is boiling add the tomatoes and boil for 1-2 minutes until you see the skins cracking.
    • Drain the tomatoes and set them aside to cool for a few minutes then peel off all the skins and squeeze each tomato to remove the seeds and juice, set aside.
    • Add the prepared tomatoes, almonds, pecorino, garlic and basil to a food processor and blitz to a fine pesto consistency, you can also use an immersion blender for this.
    • Taste for seasoning, I find the Pecorino adds enough salt but add it to taste, serve.

    If serving with pasta

    • Boil the pasta until al dente and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the rest of the pasta and add it back to the pot. Add the Pesto alla Trapanese to the pot and use the pasta water a little at a time to mix it through so it coats the pasta evenly (you won’t need all of the water).
    • Add salt to taste and serve.

    Notes

    • Tomatoes - we like to use cherry tomatoes for their sweetness but large tomatoes will work too.
    • Blanched almonds - the almonds need to be skinless so blanched almonds make things super easy. If you have almonds with the skin on you'll need to blanch them and remove the skins first.
    • Pecorino cheese - pecorino is traditionally used but you could use parmesan instead.
    • Consistency - if using the pesto as a pasta sauce make sure to reserve some pasta water to thin out the consistency you can also adjust the consistency with olive oil if using in salads.
    • Storage - the pesto will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 429IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 1mg
    Helpful Info for All Recipes
    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
    • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
    • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
    • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
    • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
    • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
    • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @insidetherustickitchen or tag #insidetherustickitchen! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carol

      June 21, 2022 at 9:30 pm

      How much pasta for that much sauce?

      Reply
      • Emily

        June 21, 2022 at 10:06 pm

        Hi Carol, it makes enough to serve with 400-500g (14oz-1lb) of pasta.

        Reply
    2. Nina

      July 06, 2021 at 11:42 pm

      Ciao and greetings from England to Scotland… this looks amazing thank you 👏👏👏 I am going to make this very soon…. Stay safe 🤗5 stars

      Reply

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