Ingredients
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 c. lightly packed flat-leaf parsley with thick stems removed
3/4 tsp. salt
c. olive oil
c. unsalted blanched almonds
3/4 lb. spaghetti
2 plum tomatoes
Preparation
Step 1In a food processor, puree the garlic and parsley with the salt. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a thin stream. Add the almonds and pulse to chop.Step 2In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the spaghetti and toss with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, the pesto, and the tomatoes. If the sauce seems too thick, add more of the reserved pasta water.Step 3Variations: Spaghetti with Parsley Almond Pesto and Parmesan: Stir 1/4 cup grated Parmesan into the parsley pesto after chopping the almonds. Spaghetti with Parsley Pine-Nut Pesto: Use 1/3 cup pine nuts in place of the almonds for a more traditional pesto.Step 4Wine Recommendation: With the parsley, olive oil, and almonds, a simple, lively white wine is best. Good examples are a pinot grigio from the Alto Adige and a Vernaccia di San Gimignano from Tuscany.
