Marcella Hazan's Sicilian Pesto

Another case of something that tastes wonderful but looks sort of plain.

In the community garden where I have my garden plot there are plenty of people who have managed to grow big, strapping tomato plants that are almost as tall as I am,  zucchini plants as big as a barcalounger, and flourishing rows of things like collard greens.

My own garden plot, for the most part, doesn't have this kind of aggressive robustness, except maybe for the weeds. My tomato plants are on the spindly side and my zucchini grows half-heartedly, threatening to collapse at any moment. I do have a serrano pepper plant that is large and full of peppers, but the thing in my garden that really flourishes is mint.

Of course anyone who has ever grown mint knows that it is known for its weed-like invasiveness. The fact that it grows so enthusiastically in my garden says nothing about my gardening abilities, only that I've planted it. And frankly, it would be a little more exciting to me if, say, my Thai basil was creating huge stands and I was searching for ways to use that. But mint is what I have on hand and I've just found a recipe for Sicilian pesto from Marcella Hazan's Marcella Says... that makes me appreciate it much more. Sicilian pesto is a wonderful recipe for summer because it involves minimal cooking, it's quick to prepare, and its flavor is big and intriguing. In fact, the only thing that is not perfect about this recipe is the color of the pesto which Marcella Hazan describes as red but I would describe as sort of orange-brown, not a color known for its powers to stimulate the appetite. But despite its color the first thing Mike and I did when we took the first bite was turn to each other and say, oh my god, this is delicious!

Sicilian Pesto

2 ounces (about 1/2 heaping cup) peeled almonds

1 whole garlic clove, peeled

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese (preferably one milder than Romano)

1/2 cup rightly packed mint leaves, washed

1/2 teaspoon dried red chili pepper, or more to taste

3 or 4 ripe, firm, fresh plum tomatoes, peeled raw, split open, seeds scooped away, and cut up, about 1 cup

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor and process to a creamy consistency. Taste and correct for salt. Toss with pasta that has just been drained and is still piping hot in a warm bowl. Serve at once.

Enough pesto for 1 lb of boxed pasta, preferably thin spaghetti, serving six people.

Notes: I did not have pecorino Romano or any other pecorino cheese so I used Parmigiano-Reggiano. Peeling the almonds is the most painstaking step in the recipe but it's really not a big deal. You drop the almonds in boiling water for about 30 seconds, drain them, and then rub the skins off.

Marcella Hazan says this will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container, and while poking around the internet to see what other versions of Sicilian pesto are out there I noticed that several of the recipes mention that the flavor improves the next day. I also noticed that there are other recipes for Sicilian pesto that use basil in addition to mint, and use pine nuts rather than almonds but I found this recipe simple and satisfying enough that I probably won't experiment with other Sicilian pesto methods.

By the way, when looking at other Sicilian pesto recipes one of the first things that I pulled up was The Wednesday Chef's account of making this same recipe last year. You can read it here.

Comments

[Rebecca]

This sounds really wonderful; it's great to try a different version of a favorite.

I read somewhere recently that mint is a better substitute for Thai basil in Thai cooking, like in pho or basil chicken, than ordinary basil, just as an FYI since you said your Thai basil isn't doing that well.

[Cazza]

Sounds delicious.

I am, however, the only person I know who can kill mint!!

This would be a lovely quick meal on a working night. Will give it a go.

[Miz S]

mmmm. It sounds really good. I even have mint in my garden.

[Miz S]

But do I really have to peel the almonds???

[aria]

what an interesting recipe. never heard of using mint in a pesto. all those different flavors, i bet it's delicious!!

[ann]

i found a great way of peeling almonds on faith's blog http://www.mekuno.net/
she calls it squirting almonds
basically, you leave them in the boiling water for about 2-3 minutes (instead of a few seconds)
it causes the skins to become even looser and, once drained, you just shoooot the almonds out of their skins!
its really fun! i did it for my cold almond soup last weekend

oh, and not to forget about the food, but this sound DELICIOUS!
i find myself completely obsessed with mint this summer, I cannot WAIT to try this!

[Ulla]

This looks amazing, perfect for the summer!

[the bee]

JUJUBEE - need your help for some baby friendly recipes that taste good . She loves pasta . Yesterday was dad's 70th held at a mexican place. Needless to say we are all paying the price for feeding the baby enchiladas. Any ideas ?

[lobstersquad]

Great idea. I buy lots of mint to put in my iced tea, but usually it´s too much and ends up going off. This is exactly what I need, thanks

[Julie]

Rebecca, I've also read that mint is a better substitute for Thai basil than regular basil. I actually have three plants of Thai basil and they're doing ok, just nowhere near as well as the mint is doing.

Cazza, I thought mint was impossible to kill and thrived on neglect. Perhaps you were being too nice to your mint.

Miz S, it is good. You should try it. And peeling the almonds is not that bad.

Ann, here's the link to Faith's instructions. I am a lot more interested in mint than I ever used to be. I am still anxious to try your tuna pasta salad with mint which sounds totally delicious.

Ulla, it's a great summertime meal. BTW, you have some great recipes on your blog and I love the pictures of your dogs (of course!). I would have commented, but couldn't because I don't have a blogger account.

Bets, I am emailing you!

Ximena, I have that same problem whenever I buy bunches of herbs of any sort. It's always more than I can use before they go bad. This is a great way to use up mint though.

[Luisa]

Or just buy blanched almonds and then you have to peel nothing but tomatoes... So glad you liked this, Julie. It's definite now, I like it more than regular pesto.

[Julie]

aria, I missed your comment before. Sorry!! I'd never heard of pesto being used in mint either and its taste is very different from a basil pesto. It's a lot livelier, and there is a lot more complexity of taste (IMO) than with the basil pesto, although let me add that I'm a big fan of the basil pesto also.

Luisa, blanched almonds! What a great idea. I also think I like this better than basil pesto. I can't say it with certainty until I make it again, but I'm definitely leaning that way.

[Rebecca]

Yes, I'm sitting here wondering why all these people aren't buying blanched almonds; they're fairly common!

Now what you don't see that often, but save a lot of work, are blanched hazelnuts. I got some once but haven't seen them for a long time and wish I would have bought a lot more; all that rubbing between dish towels, etc.

[Natalia]

Mmm, sounds delicious. I really like the photo. It may not be extravagant, but I love the flecks of color and the intertwining noodles. It's making me hungry!

[the bee]

I made this tonight and used toasted pine nuts ( all I had)
and it was very yummy !

[sher]

Well, any recipe by Marcella is going to be fabulous. And many of my favorite pasta dishes look almost nude, so I think the photo looks fabulous. I had a community garden plot for almost 6 years and it was quite an experience. Then people started stealing and vandalizing the plots--so it was time to move on.

[angela]

I am going to share my pesto recipe with you because I love it. It might be a little plain, but I got it from an old Italian lady. I love it and it always tastes so fresh.

handfull of basil
10 or 12 capers
1/4 cup or more (depending on taste) parmesan
lemon juice (few squirts)
10 or so pine nuts
lots of olive oil

I know this is a really basic recipe, but I always go back to it. Hope you like it!

[Julie]

Rebecca, yes, I know. Buying your almonds already peeled does seem easier.

Natalia, thanks about the photo. It really was a pretty delicious dish.

Bets! You go, girl! Look at you making pesto!

Sher, I agree that Marcella Hazan's recipes are delicious. I don't think I've had a bad one yet. About your garden plot? That so sucks that people were stealing from them. Doesn't seem to be a problem in the one I use but that could be because of the giant fence around it.

Angela, your recipe looks wonderful. I plan to try it.

[Anne]

I just added Hazan's cookbook to my amazon Wish List because this recipe looks and sounds so good! I will def try it this week.

[Julie]

Anne, I recommend that cookbook and any of Marcella Hazan's other cookbooks very much. I love the way she writes and I learn a lot from her books.