--- title: 'Spaghetti with roast almond and tomato pesto' url: 'https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/spaghetti-with-roast-almond-and-tomato-pesto' markdown: 'https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/spaghetti-with-roast-almond-and-tomato-pesto.md' date: '2021-06-02' description: "Meera Sodha A take on the Sicilian\_pasta alla Trapanese - grate the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find into a paste of roast almonds, pound away, blend with basil and extra-virgin olive oil and slurp with spaghetti. Prep\_15 min Cook\_30 min Serves\_4 Ingredients 100g skin-on almonds 2 garlic c…" taxonomy: category: - main - vegan --- # Spaghetti with roast almond and tomato pesto ## Spaghetti with roast almond and tomato pesto ![folder](https://recipes.spfinch.com/user/themes/recipes/images/folder.svg) [main](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/category:main) | [vegan](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/category:vegan) ![spaghetti-with-roast-almond-and-tomato-pesto](https://recipes.spfinch.com/user/pages/02.recipes/spaghetti-with-roast-almond-and-tomato-pesto/spaghetti-with-roast-almond-and-tomato-pesto.webp "spaghetti-with-roast-almond-and-tomato-pesto") [Meera Sodha](https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/may/29/meera-sodha-vegan-recipe-spaghetti-roast-almond-tomato-pesto) *A take on the Sicilian pasta alla Trapanese - grate the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find into a paste of roast almonds, pound away, blend with basil and extra-virgin olive oil and slurp with spaghetti.* Prep **15 min** Cook **30 min** Serves **4** Ingredients **100g skin-on almonds 2 garlic cloves**, peeled **1 x 40g bunch basil**, picked to get approx 30g, plus a few leaves extra to finish **4 tbsp (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil**, plus extra to finish **1¼ tsp fine sea salt**, plus extra for the pasta water **400g spaghetti 600g vine tomatoes**, coarsely grated (to get 450g pulp) **2 large handfuls (60g) rocket leaves** Method 1. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and spread out the almonds and one of the garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove and leave to cool. 2. Once the nut mix has cooled, tip it all into a food processor, add the second garlic clove, the basil, oil and salt, and blitz to a semi-coarse paste. 3. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Salt generously, then cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Carefully remove half a mug’s worth (about 100ml) of the pasta cooking water, put to one side, then drain the spaghetti and return it to the empty pan. Stir in the almond and basil pesto, then add the tomatoes and rocket, and toss the lot together, loosening the mix with the pasta water a splash at a time until it is a lovely, saucy consistency. 4. Transfer to four plates, top with a couple of basil leaves, drizzle over some good olive oil and dig in. ***Note**: blending the tomatoes might be less messy (and less wasteful) than grating and throwing away the skins.* --- #### Related recipes - [Vegan maki sushi](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/vegan-maki-sushi "Vegan maki sushi") - [Vegan pancakes](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/vegan-pancakes "Vegan pancakes") - [Gigantes plaki](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/gigantes-plaki "Gigantes plaki") - [Mung dal saag](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/mung-dal-saag "Mung dal saag") - [Ribollita with winter greens](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/ribollita-with-winter-greens "Ribollita with winter greens") --- ## Navigation - Parent: [Recipes](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes.md) - Previous: [Yoghurt, almond and honey cake](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/yoghurt-almond-and-honey-cake.md) - Next: [Spinach and butter bean stew with toasted pine nuts](https://recipes.spfinch.com/recipes/spinach-and-butter-bean-stew-with-toasted-pine-nuts.md)