Sun-dried tomato pesto

Inspired by a an unbelievable meal at Konoba Mate in Pupnat on Korčula in Croatia and has been reconstructed similar recipes we've found online.

Like Konoba Mate, we usually do it with fresh pasta cut into thick fettucini. I'll bet that orecchiette or fusilli would be great as well. :) I wouldn't do it with spaghetti.

Ingredients

• 3oz (85 grams) sun-dried tomato (SDT). We've generally had the non-oiled packed sort. If you use the oily ones, those would be great, but you'll want to use more.
• 1/2 cup of almonds. We used roasted and lightly salted almonds. The salt is not necessary but give them a dry roast in a pan if you have raw ones.
• 2-3 garlic clove, sliced up
• 1-2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Use the best stuff you can find. Seriously. We use the DOP Gata Hurdes from Fairway for this one.
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, dry roasted in a pan unless they are browned

Instructions

• Use a food processor to pulse the SDT with oil until it's basically a paste. This will usually take some time.
• Add almonds, then garlic, then salt and pepper to taste

Once you're pasta is done:

• Because this pesto is dry, I'll usually add 2 ladel-fulls (maybe a cup?!) of used pasta water to the pesto as I mix it in with the noodles. You want the consistency to be saucy but not wet.
• Add in the breadcrumbs! Keep in mind that they'll soak up water too so you may need even more. If you can keep 'em a little crispy though, that will be great.

Top the plates with:

• chopped parsley
• black peppper
• freshly grated grana padano or parmaggiano regiano