Anna's Spaghetti And Pesto Trapanese

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3/4 lb cherry tomatoes, very ripe and sweet
• 12 large fresh basil leaves
• 1 plump garlic clove, crushed and peeled
• 1/3 cup whole almond, lightly toasted
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt (more for cooking the pasta) or 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste (more for cooking the pasta)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1/2 cup freshly grated grana padano or 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Recipe

• 1 rinse the cherry tomatoes, and pat them dry; rinse the basil leaves and pat dry.
• 2 drop the tomatoes into the blender jar or food processor bowl, followed by the garlic, almonds, basil leaves, pepper flakes, and 1/2 t salt.
• 3 blend for a minute or two to a fine puree; scrape down the bowl, and blend again if any large bits or pieces have survived.
• 4 with the machine still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream, emulsifying the puree into a thick pesto.
• 5 taste, and adjust seasoning.
• 6 heat 6 quarts water with 1 t salt to the boil in a large pot.
• 7 scrape all the pesto into a big warm bowl.
• 8 cook the spaghetti al dente, lift it from the cooking pot; drain briefly, and drop onto the pesto.
• 9 toss quickly to coat the spaghetti, sprinkle the cheese all over, and toss again.
• 10 serve immediately in warm bowls.