Pesto Trapanese, pasta pomodoro and torta caprese: Dara Klein’s favourite Italian recipes | Food

Pesto trapanese combines almonds, tomatoes, pecorino and a hint of garlic and basil to create a fresher version than the typical Genovese variety, and I especially love the way the richness of the almonds is lifted by the fresh tomatoes – when they’re pureed together, it creates a wonderful mouthfeel. For me, though, pasta pomodoro symbolises home. My mum’s was a cornerstone of our trattoria, as it is at Italian restaurants around the world, and every family has their own fiercely guarded recipe. I developed this particular method when I started Pasta Princess, which delivered hand-rolled pasta and pomodoro sauce all over London during lockdown. It kept me grounded when I was in between kitchens, and resurfaced at Tiella, where it features regularly on the menu. Finally, torta caprese is a wonderfully rich flourless chocolate cake made with ground almonds. Mum often made a similar cake called torta gianduia, which uses hazelnuts instead of almonds, a recipe that hails from Piedmont, the heart of Italy’s hazelnut production (the Tonda Gentile delle Langhe variety is particularly prized for its incredible quality and flavour, carrying the IGP label to denote regionality and strict production standards). I remember her once buying these special hazelnuts on a trip to Italy, and taking them back home to New Zealand so she could make gianduia. When the cake came out of the oven, the aroma was so incredible that she decided to bring it home rather than putting it on the menu, and shared it with us instead.

Pesto trapanese (pictured top)

I prefer to make this in a mortar to achieve a rustic paste. You can use a blender, but operate it gently so you don’t end up with a smooth paste. Once the pesto is tossed with the pasta, finish with a touch of lemon juice and black pepper just before plating to add some brightness. You can omit the cheese for a dairy-free pesto: it still blends beautifully, and has a greater concentration of almonds, tomatoes and basil.

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4

85g blanched almonds
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
250g tomatoes, finely diced
75ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 garlic clove, peeled, halved and germ removed
10g basil, leaves picked, plus extra to serve
45g pecorino, grated, plus extra to serve
320-400g pasta – busiate, penne, spaghetti, bucatini or fusilli
Lemon juice, to serve

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Spread the almonds on a lined baking tray, sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and roast for 13 minutes. Remove and leave to cool completely.

Using a pestle and mortar, stand blender or hand-held blender, blitz the almonds, tomatoes, oil, garlic and a big pinch of salt until almost smooth, but with a few chunks for texture. Add the basil and pecorino, pulse until the leaves have broken down, then taste and add more salt, if need be. If you’re not using the pesto straight away, transfer to a jar, pour a little olive oil on top to stop it oxidising, seal and keep in the fridge for up to three days.

Cook your chosen pasta as per the packet instructions, lifting it out of the water one minute before it’s ready. While the pasta is cooking, loosen the pesto with a small ladleful of the starchy pasta water and warm over a low heat; do not blast it with heat, because this will ruin the flavour. Turn up the heat to medium, add the pasta and toss back and forth vigorously, adding a little more pasta water as needed.

Continue tossing the pasta until the sauce thickens and turns glossy. Season to taste. I like to add a few drops of lemon juice – just enough to balance the dish, but not so much that it’s detectable. Plate immediately, garnish with the extra basil, a drop of good olive oil and an extra grating of pecorino, and serve.

Sugo di pomodoro