A year ago, Adrien and I traveled to Sicily to experience some of the culture of my ancestors. Sicily, as I discovered, is not just one culture but a melting of the many conquerors who settled on this island over its history.
One of the places we visited in 2025 was the commune and city of Trapani on the western Mediterranean coast. The influence of its history – conquered by Carthage, the Byzantine Empire, Arabs, Normans and even the Bourbons – is felt here. All of them dominated Trapani during certain periods, and each left some influences in the art, architecture and food. When we visited in 2025, students from across Sicily were convening to commemorate the end of mafia rule and I’ve recorded my impressions of that day here.
The real take-away for me was the large role ancient history has in the cuisine of Sicily. Sicily’s dishes are a reflection of the cultures that conquered it through time. Those influences are reflected in the cuisine present today. Trapanese pesto is a prime example. In Trapani, the local pesto is not the pine nut-basil-garlic-olive oil pesto one finds in Linquria. This local version is made with almonds, tomatoes, a touch of garlic and a bit of basil. I’ve seen variations that use mint AND basil, and varying varieties of tomatoes. The texture is dependent on what each cook chooses to use.
This recipe from Serious Eats makes a great blueprint for Sicilian style pesto. With an abundance of fresh cherry tomatoes and basil in our CSA share this week, this Trapanese Pesto was built on fresh, tomatoes picked at their peak. I really liked to version which used the ingredients found below and a more sturdy pasta like rigatoni but as our New England growing season starts to close out, there will be adjustments.
.Ingredients – use what is fresh and available and follow a method like this one from Serious Eats.
- Toasted almonds (I used raw, skin-on almonds which I toasted at home)
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Cherry tomatoes (about a lb worked well)
- Fresh basil leaves
- Salt & Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Pecorino Romano
This take on Pesto Trapanese from NYTimes Cooking uses mint and is also delicious (more chunky than smooth like mine). Recipe gifted through my subscription to the NYTimes.
Four Nights A Week 