Recipe: Toscanini’s pasta with almond pesto
Toscanini, a household name in Amsterdam and the surrounding area. Chances are you’ve been there or heard of this Italian restaurant, but what you probably don’t know is that the people behind Toscanini are also the authors of The Bible of Italian Cuisine: the new standard work on the flavours and cooking styles of Italy. This simple Sicilian pasta dish with almond pesto easily knocks your standard pesto pasta off its throne. Bet you?
Trapani is a city on the western side of the island. Ships from Genoa stopped there on their way to the Orient and introduced their agliata and pesto alla Genovese. This is a Sicilian variation on that. Traditionally, the pesto is made in a mortar, but a food processor requires less effort and produces an excellent result too.
How to make Toscanini’s pasta with almond pesto
1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Score the tomatoes on the rounded side and place them in the boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into iced water. You can now easily remove the skins. Cut them in half, remove the seeds and the stem. Finely chop the flesh.
2. Put the almonds, garlic and basil in the mortar or food processor. Pound or pulse until you have a coarse paste. Add the oil little by little. Remove the pesto from the mortar or food processor and put it in a bowl. Stir in the tomatoes and Pecorino Romano and season with salt and pepper.
3. Put a large pan of water on to boil. Once boiling, add salt and the spaghetti. Drain when al dente, but reserve a cup of the cooking water.
4. Return the pasta to the pan off the heat and stir in the pesto. Add a little cooking water if necessary.
5. Serve immediately, with extra Pecorino Romano for those who want it.
Title: The Bible of Italian Cuisine
Author: Maud Moody, Nina Bogaerts & Leonardo Pacenti
Price: €31,99
Publisher: Carrera Culinair
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