Linguine with Tomato-almond Pesto

Picture from Smitten Kitchen

I've been wanting to make this recipe for a while now from Smitten Kitchen and it was everything that I hoped it would be. I like it with lots of grated parmesan cheese on top. This would be a great dish to bring to a potluck or gathering since it makes a good amount.

Linguine with tomato-almond pesto

serves 6-8

3/4 cup slivered almonds

1 large handful fresh basil leaves

1 to 2 large garlic cloves

Several sprinkles of sea salt

6 ripe plum tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan

1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil

1 pound linguine

In a large skillet, sauté the almonds in a little olive oil until toasted. Let cool, then blend them in a food processor or blender until they are in coarse pieces. (“The size of orzo,” the original recipe suggests.) Scoop them out of the processor and set them aside.

Put the basil, garlic and a few pinches of sea salt into the food processor and chop. Add the almonds back to the food processor (keeping them separate will keep them from getting too finely chopped as you get the basil and garlic to the right texture) with the tomatoes, cheese and olive oil and whirl briefly. Season it with freshly ground black pepper.

Cook your linguine until it is al dente and could use another minute of cooking time. Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest. Immediately toss the hot linguine with the pesto and mix quickly so that it drinks the sauce up a bit. Add more pasta water if needed. Serve this lukewarm, or at room temperature, with a glass of wine, after you get the baby to bed.