The beauty and delight of this dish is that it is so fresh and clean—and it is a cinch to make. It’s important to make the pesto with the best ingredients, then just toss in the hot cooked spaghetti to coat it, and enjoy.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　3/4 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) cherry tomatoes, very ripe and sweet

　　12 large fresh basil leaves

　　1 plump garlic clove, crushed and peeled

　　1/3 cup whole almonds, lightly toasted

　　1/4 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste

　　1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt, or to taste, plus more for cooking the pasta

　　1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 pound spaghetti

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

　　

Recommended Equipment

A blender (my preference) or a food processor

　　A pot for cooking the spaghetti

　　

Step 1

Rinse the cherry tomatoes, and pat them dry. Rinse the basil leaves, and pat dry.

　　

Step 2

Drop the tomatoes into the blender jar or food-processor bowl, followed by the garlic clove, the almonds, basil leaves, peperoncino, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend for a minute or more to a fine purée; scrape down the bowl, and blend again if any large bits or pieces have survived.

　　

Step 3

With the machine still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream, emulsifying the purée into a thick pesto. Taste, and adjust seasoning. (If you’re going to dress the pasta within a couple of hours, leave the pesto at room temperature. Refrigerate for longer storage, up to 2 days, but let it return to room temperature before cooking the pasta.)

　　

Step 4

To cook the spaghetti, heat 6 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon salt to the boil in the large pot. Scrape all the pesto into a big warm bowl.

　　

Step 5

Cook the spaghetti al dente, lift it from the cooking pot, drain briefly, and drop onto the pesto. Toss quickly to coat the spaghetti, sprinkle the cheese all over, and toss again. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

　　From Lidia's Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Copyright (c) 2007 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York.