Pesto di mandorle e salvia
I had never encountered or even considered a world of pestos outside of basil until Fabrizia Lanza’s Coming Home to Sicily introduced us to what is perhaps my new favorite variety of pesto: almond and sage. This pesto di mandorle e salvia is a beautiful example of seasonal Sicilian cooking.
Lanza says “summer explodes in Sicily like a mouthful of orange” and I often feel that way about spring here. Though, in Alabama, the explosion is more one of pollen and blossoms, unexpected thunderstorms and the wafting smell of gardenia or jasmine on every street corner.
She organizes her cookbook in two ways: 1) by seasons 2) by ingredient within the season it is harvested. Traditional Sicilian cooking is rather limited in the variety of ingredients used and thus the book in its very design is a picture of life in Sicily. In the summer, they harvest almonds and use them in many ways, as in this pesto.
Sage is a hardier plant with a more delicate flavor profile, an unusual choice for pesto which we’d normally like to pack a punch. Pairing it with almonds here is a combination that I knew I would love, but just didn’t know how much. We used a bit of the pesto in this homemade Alfredo sauce and tossed in some fresh angel hair pasta for a fantastic meal that had me feeling fuller much longer than a typical pasta dish.
Pesti di mandorle e salvia
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole almonds unsalted, but roasted is fine
- 2 cups fresh sage leaves I used 2 .75 oz packages from the store
- 1 whole garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil good olive oil!
Instructions
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Process the almonds thoroughly in the bowl of a food processor.
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Wash and destem the sage leaves. Add the sage, garlic clove, and sea salt to the food processor and process until blended completely.
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With the food processor on low, slowly add in the olive oil to the top. There should be a tiny hole in the feeder tube exactly for this purpose. You will need to add the oil in slowly, as it feeds in very slowly through the tube. This allows for proper emulsion in the processor and the perfect consistency in your pesto.
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Keep the pesto in a mason jar in the refrigerator OR freeze into cubes like this for longer storage.
Recipe Notes
We loved this pesto mixed with Alfredo sauce, and I highly recommend trying that combination as a meal option. However, the flavors would also be appropriate for a salad dressing or fancy grilled cheese spread.
