Sicilian Tomato Pesto - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts
4 cups fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
2 large tomatoes, ripe, peeled, seeded, chopped, drained
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the pine nuts.
Cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove from the pan.
Place the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Stop and scrape down the sides.
Add the grated cheese and crushed red-pepper flakes and pulse a few times to make a thick paste.
Transfer to a bowl and fold in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.