Pesto alla trapanese

Like the basil pesto made in Liguria, this pesto sauce has been made for centuries in Trapani, a town on the western coast of Sicily. Originally it was made without the tomatoes, but in the eighteenth century, when tomatoes became a staple of local food, they were added to the pesto.

I always leave some of the almonds in their skins because the skin adds flavour to the dish. Like all other uncooked sauces, this pesto needs the best ingredients – and the result is fabulous.