if you’re a fan of bright green herby pesto, this recipe will be a treat.
traditional pesto is one of those sauces that is best in the summer when fresh basil is fragrant and abundant. it’s also a sauce that has to be made fresh in my opinion. there is no such thing as a jar of pesto that is good.
this pesto is similar and has all the ingredients of traditional basil pesto, with the addition of my favorite summer staple: cherry tomatoes. of course, they have to be juicy and sweet since like a salad, you’re eating them raw.
you can slather this on a sandwich, use it as a bread dip, drizzle it over pizza or make pasta.
i made pasta, with the addition of crispy breadcrumbs because there are few foods that are not made better with toasty, herby breadcrumbs.
sicilian pesto pasta with crispy breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 8 ounces short pasta of your choice: penne rigatoni, i used casarecce
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiana reggiano or romano
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste
breadcrumbs:
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- cook the pasta in a heavily salted pot of boiling water.
- while the pasta is cooking, make the pesto by putting all of the ingredients except for the the olive oil in a food processor for 20 seconds.
- slowly drizzle in the olive oil and continue blending until you reach your desired texture. i like it with a bit of texture.
- make the breadcrumbs by combining the panko with the italian seasoning. heat a skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil to the pan. add the breadcrumbs and stir until golden brown. this happens fast and can burn quickly.
- toss the pasta with the pesto and spoon into bowls. top with breadcrumbs and serve.