All, Pasta, Recipes
Vegan Pesto Alla Trapanese
Our favorite type of pesto, alla trapanese, comes from Sicily (traditional pesto originated in Liguria) and is infused with juicy ripe tomatoes to create a fantastic medley of flavors.
And we’ve got the secret for the perfect vegan pesto: fresh breadcrumbs. They lend a silky texture to the sauce itself while serving as the ideal textural replacement for parmesan. Both the pesto and the breadcrumbs in this recipe are generously seasoned to pack a flavorful punch.
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How to Make It
Ingredients
Pesto
- 3 medium ripe plum tomatoes
- 1 cup roughly chopped basil, lightly packed
- ½ cup toasted sliced almonds
- ¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Assembly
- 1 box (1 lb / 454 g) tortiglioni pasta
- Freshly torn basil and lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- For the pesto, boil a large pot of salted water. Add tomatoes and cook until skins have split, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl of ice-cold water, using a slotted spoon. Let stand for 1 minute to cool.
- Remove tomatoes from water, then slip off and discard skins. Cut each in half and scoop out and discard seeds. Trim off any unwanted stem. Transfer to a food processor along with basil, almonds, breadcrumbs, garlic and salt. Season generously with freshly ground pepper. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides if needed. With the motor running, slowly stream in oil. Continue processing until pesto is fully emulsified. Set aside.
- For the breadcrumbs, heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in breadcrumbs and salt. Season with freshly ground pepper. Cook, stirring often, until deeply toasted and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape onto a plate and set aside.
- Meanwhile, return same pot of water to a full boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 9 to 11 minutes. Reserve a cup of cooking water, then drain pasta. Return pasta to pot then scrape in pesto, stirring to fully coat. Add reserved water, 1 tbsp at a time, to thin out if needed.
- To serve, divide pasta among 4 plates. Sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs and torn basil. Serve with lemon wedges.
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