Chef John’s Secret to the Perfect Pesto? Give It a Red Twist

When you think of pesto, your mind probably goes straight to the classic green version. Pesto Genovese, with its vivid green color thanks to a healthy amount of basil, is the most famous version worldwide. But it’s just one of many pesto variations out there.

The term ‘pesto’ comes from the Italian word 'pestare,' which means ‘to pound’ or ‘crush,’ referring to the traditional method of preparing the sauce by grinding ingredients with a mortar and pestle. One notable variation is Pesto alla Trapanese, a Sicilian version made with fresh, sweet cherry tomatoes. (It's different from pesto rosso, which uses sun-dried tomatoes.) During the summer, when tomatoes are at their peak, Chef John prefers this no-cook sauce.

Pasta alla Trapanese shares many similarities with pesto Genovese. Both sauces include basil, olive oil, garlic, cheese, and nuts. However, the pine nuts typical of green pesto are replaced with almonds in Trapanese pesto, and the addition of fresh summer tomatoes gives the sauce a light, bright flavor. Some recipes, including Chef John’s, also include a few mint leaves for extra freshness.

How to Prepare the Delicious Tomato-Based Pesto Pasta alla Trapanese

This red pesto is easy to make, as it’s basically just blending all the ingredients together. However, there are a few simple tips you can follow to elevate the pesto experience.

Start with blanched almonds for the best texture. You can either buy them pre-blanched or do it yourself by soaking whole almonds in hot water for a few minutes. Once they’ve cooled, you’ll easily be able to slip the skins off, as Chef John demonstrates in his recipe video.

After blanching your almonds, it’s time to make a garlic paste. Crush sliced garlic with kosher salt using a mortar and pestle, or lay the garlic on a cutting board, sprinkle with salt, and mash it into a paste using the flat side of a chef’s knife. Although you could prepare the entire pesto in a mortar and pestle, Chef John recommends using this method only for the garlic.

Once the garlic paste is ready, add the almonds, Pecorino Romano, basil, mint, garlic paste, olive oil, and tomatoes to your blender. According to Chef John, it’s best to add the ingredients in this specific order, starting with the almonds and cheese so they can blend first. Pulse the blender until the almonds and cheese are well combined, then continue pulsing until everything is blended together. Finally, blend on high until the pesto reaches your desired smoothness, and season with salt to taste.

Once your pesto is ready, cook your favorite pasta. Transfer the cooked pasta to a bowl, adding about 1/3 cup of pasta water along with the pesto. Toss everything together—the starchy pasta water will help the pesto sauce stick to the noodles. Now, enjoy your meal!

Still unsure about trying this pesto? Let Dinogo users sway you. One member shared, “It was amazing! Our garden is overflowing with cherry tomatoes and basil, so this was the perfect way to use up our fresh produce. I used it to top a homemade white pan pizza right after it came out of the oven. It was a hit with everyone, and we had enough leftover to send some home with our friends. I would’ve posted a photo, but the food was gone in minutes.” Another user, SpaceCadet65, said, “I made this for my wife, who’s really picky, and she called it the best thing I’ve ever made for her.” We’re sold!”