Ingredients
¾lbcherry tomatoes,(about 2½ cups)
12largefresh basil leaves
1clovegarlic
⅓cupwhole almonds
¼tsppeperoncino,crushed red pepper
½tspcoarse sea salt,or kosher salt, plus 1 tbsp for boiling
½cupextra-virgin olive oil
1lbspaghetti
½cupParmigiano-Reggiano,or Grana Padano
Preparation
Rinse the cherry tomatoes and basil leaves and pat them dry.
Drop the tomatoes into the blender jar or food processor bowl followed by the garlic clove, almonds, basil leaves, peperoncino, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
With the machine still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream, emulsifying the puree into a thick pesto. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To cook the spaghetti, heat 24 cups of water, with remaining salt, to boil in a large pot.
Scrape all the pesto into a big warm bowl. Cook the spaghetti al dente, lift it from the cooking pot, drain it briefly, and drop it onto the pesto.
Toss quickly to coat the spaghetti, sprinkle the cheese all over, and toss again.
Serve immediately in warm bowls.
