Tomato Almond Pesto

So, lots of folks don't realize that pesto comes in more than just one color. While creamy green basil, pine nut, parmesan stuff has become the figurehead of pestos , there are a bunch of really delicious regional variations that should be checked out. For example: Sicilian fresh tomato almond pesto!

This pesto is super easy and quick to make, provided you have a food processor or a good blender. If you tried to make it the traditional way - in a mortar and pestle - it would still be super easy, but maybe not so quick. The sauce still has basil in it, but the basil is balanced in this case by fresh sweet tomatoes and toasted almonds, which gives it a really creamy depth of flavor. The recipe I used it from the almost-never-fails magazine, Cook's Illustrated, which is famous for printing recipes only after they've been tested a bajillian times. I followed this one pretty much to the letter, and let me tell you, the sauce that resulted was so good I was ready to eat it up like soup. And so now, for your cooking and eating enjoyment, an alternative to the pesto we all think of.... Sicilian Tomato Almond Pesto! Yum!

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup slivered almonds

- 12 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes

- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves

- 1 med. garlic clove (size can be adjusted depending on how much you like garlic)

- 1 small pepperoncini or 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes & 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar

- salt

- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 lb. pasta (they recommend linguini or spaghetti, but I used whole wheat rotini and it was great)

- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

Process:

1. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant. About 2-4 min. Cool to room temp.

2. Put well salted pasta water on to boil.

3. Put the almonds, tomatoes, basil, pepperoncini 0r red pepper flakes / red wine vinegar, garlic and 1 tsp of salt into the food processor and blend until smooth. About 1 min.

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Then, with the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until it's blended. About 30 sec.

5. Once pasta is boiled, drain it, reserving 1/2 cup of liquid, then put it back into the pot. Add the pesto and 1/2 cup Parmesan to the pasta, adding a bit of pasta cooking water if necessary, just until the sauced coats the pasta well. Serve immediately.