Basil-Almond Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
No need to have pricey pine-nuts on hand, as this simple recipe comes together so quickly with common ingredients such as almonds, basil and Parmesan. Tossed in a hot, freshly cooked pasta and topped with roasted cherry tomatoes, this makes a delicious and colourful summer meal.
I love pasta. Whenever I can find a variation of sauce to eat it with, I’m always open to try. Pesto sauce is definitely one of my favourites, and with the addition of sweet-roasted tomatoes, it adds another dimension to this dish.
After my trip to Italy a few years ago, I was exposed to such fresh and amazing ingredients. Making pasta from scratch was the number one thing on my list, and I got the chance to take a cooking class and make a mouth-watering plate of homemade gnocchi with pesto sauce.
The traditional ingredients for a pesto is Genovese basil, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic and salt. In case you haven’t noticed, pine nuts (which aren’t actually nuts, but the edible seeds of pine trees) can be a bit expensive. So for this variation I used blanched, slivered almonds.
I’ve also tried this recipe with whole almonds (as I usually always have a giant Costco-sized bag on hand), and it will give you similar results. The red pepper flakes gives it a little kick.
The pasta can be served on it’s own, but what gives it some beautiful colour is the roasted cherry tomatoes. These complementary colour pairs not only look great on the plate, but the sweet taste of the roasted tomatoes pairs well with the savory flavours of the pesto sauce.
Basil-Almond Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
Basil-Almond Pesto
- 2 cups fresh, gently packed basil leaves
- 1/2 cup blanched, slivered almonds
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 225 grams dried pasta (8 oz)
Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
- 283 grams grape or cherry tomatoes (1 pint)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
For the oven-roasted tomatoes
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse and drain the tomatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise and place them in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the minced garlic to the tomatoes. Drizzle in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Use a spoon to mix the tomatoes until they’re incorporated well.
- Place the tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet and roast in an oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to shrivel up slightly and begin to brown.
To prepare the pasta
- As the oven is pre-heating for the tomatoes, fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving about ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Meanwhile, place basil, almonds, garlic, red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese into a food processer or blender and process until coarsely combined.
- Gradually stream in the olive oil. If the mixture is too thick, add in a bit of the pasta water and continue to blend until incorporated.
- Toss the pesto with the pasta until well coated. Top with roasted tomatoes and serve.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute the blanched, slivered almonds with whole almonds or any other nut. You can even try nuts that are lightly roasted for a more nutty flavour.