40 mins
Tomato, Basil and Almond Pasta
Recipe by Graham
Tomato, Basil and Almond Pasta celebrates the tastes of Sicily. This delicious vegetarian summer pasta can be served warm or at room temperature and, with a glass of dry white wine, you'll be glad of the 40 minutes you invested to create this wonderful recipe.
You'll notice I have listed "shelled, unskinned almonds" in the ingredients. Of course, you can cut corners and use ready blanched almonds, but nuts quickly lose their flavour without their protective skins so if you can get shelled, unskinned almonds, though it will add a few minutes to the time to prepare this dish, you'll find the taste is greatly enhanced.
Tomato and Mozzarella Salad 
Tomato Chutney Ingredients for Tomato, Basil and Almond Pasta
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Tomato, Basil and Almond Pasta
- Cover the almonds with boiling water for a few minutes to loosen their skins. Allow them to cool for a few minutes then, when they are cool enough to handle, slip the skins off with your fingers. Place the almonds in a non-stick frying pan and toast them for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until they are a pale golden colour.
- Peel the garlic and place in a food processor along with the basil leaves and a little coarse sea salt. Pulse two or three times in the food processor then tip into a large bowl. Pulse the almonds, again with a little salt, until they are the size of small grains of rice and add to the bowl.
- Peel and de-seed the tomatoes and chop into medium-size dice. Mix the tomatoes into the basil, garlic and almonds, add the grated cheese and olive oil and combine gently but well. Taste and season with freshly ground black pepper and (only if needed) a little more salt.
- Boil the pasta in the usual way according to the instructions on the packet (usually just a few minutes), and make sure to keep it very al dente, especially if you are planning to serve it at room temperature. Drain the pasta but reserve a couple of ladles of the pasta water. Tip the pasta into the bowl with the other ingredients and mix it gently but quickly, so that the melting cheese is well distributed. If necessary, add a little pasta water so that the sauce lightly coats each corkscrew of pasta.
- Serve straight away, either lukewarm, or at room temperature, but don't chill in the fridge since this dulls those gorgeous aromas that make this dish a joy to eat.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Italians are very quick to declare pasta "scotta", which means overcooked. To judge when to drain the pasta, cut a piece of pasta open: when it has a tiny uncooked white speck at the centre, drain it. It will be perfectly cooked all the way through by the time you serve it.
Certainly a crisp dry Italian white rather than a red. There are a lot of questionable Pinot Grigio on the market so it's easy to forget its virtues as a crisp, clean, immensely food-friendly white. Look out for good ones from the Alto Adige region of Italy.Reviews of Tomato, Basil and Almond Pasta
| August 10 2014 Really nice summer pasta because it's not too heavy. Of course, we topped it with even more freshly grated pecorino! This recipe was perfect for the whole family and took no time to make. I really love the flavor of this dish. Definitely will be making this again, love it! janineJ (1 review) |
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