Julia Ostro's Busiate with Pesto alla Trapanese

Ingredients: 

• 320 g busiate or pasta of your choice

Pesto:

• 6 roma tomatoes
• 70 g blanched almonds, lightly toasted
• Leaves from 1 bunch of basil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• Sea salt
• 100-150ml Cobram Estate Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Crunchy Breadcrumbs:

• 2 tablespoons Cobram Estate Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 100 g fresh breadcrumbs
• Sea salt

Method: 

1. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
2. For the breadcrumbs, heat the Cobram Estate Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes until golden and crunchy. Season with sea salt and set aside.
3. Using a small, sharp knife, cut a cross at the base of each tomato. Blanch in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute and drain, leave to cool. Peel and halve each tomato, scraping out the seeds and remove the core. Roughly chop the tomato flesh and set aside.
4. Pound the almonds using a mortar and pestle. Add the basil and continue to pound to form a coarse paste. Add in the garlic, along with a large pinch of salt. Continue to crush the garlic into the basil and almonds.
5. Once you’ve reached the desired texture, add in the chopped tomato and gently pound to incorporate it into the pesto. Crush it to be as chunky or smooth as you like. Stir in enough Cobram Estate Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make a thick but spoonable pesto. Season to taste and transfer to a large bowl.
6. Add the pasta to the bowl with the pesto and stir so that everything is well coated. If too dry, add some reserved pasta water.
7. Serve with a drizzle of Cobram Estate Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a generous scattering of the toasted breadcrumbs.