Marinated tomatoes and the almond-based pesto “alla Trapanese” are a perfect pair for whole wheat casarecce pasta.
1 lb. box whole wheat casarecce
6 plum tomatoes, peeled and cubed, divided
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup basil leaves, packed, divided
Salt and black pepper to taste
¾ cup peeled almonds
1 garlic clove
½ cup Romano cheese, grated
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
In a small bowl, marinate ¼ of the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 julienned basil leaves, and salt and pepper; set aside.
In a blender, process the almonds, garlic, 5 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, and cheese.
Add remaining tomatoes and basil to the blender, and process by pulsing until tomatoes and basil are chopped but not too smooth.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water.
Toss pasta with pesto and cooking liquid, then top with marinated tomatoes before serving.
Recipe and photo courtesy Barilla.
Gretch says: This was OK but not great, I didn’t take the time to peel the almonds and I would say it was too nutty tasting, so maybe fewer almonds and more tomato? I also couldn’t find whole wheat casarecce, even from Barilla who this recipe is from but Barilla does make a chickpea casarecce I liked the taste of it and that it increased the protein level.
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