Spaghetti with almond and basil pesto

My first time making pesto. Pine nuts are usually the traditional nutty ingredient for making pesto but this recipe uses almond instead. I read that pesto is best made using a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients to bring out the sharp flavour of the ingredients especially basil but people like me, to save my tiring arms will always look for a food processor to do the job. Just like bread making, i think i have not really kneaded a bread for more than 3 times after getting my mixer.   I also read that if we were to use a food processor to make pesto, make sure we keep an eye during the processing to avoid the pesto turns into puree so it's better to use the pulse mode in the machine. The amount of oil we put in will also vary depending on the dryness of the nut so we make the adjustment ourselves.

Recipe ( from Pasta by Carla Bardi with some changes)
200gm spaghetti
60gms almond, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic
a little salt
2 cups of fresh basil
1 medium ripe tomato, peeled, seeds removed and chopped
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
some roasted chopped almonds


Method:
1. Chop the almonds, garlic and a pinch of salt in a food processor until almost smooth.
2. Add the basil, tomato and chop until smooth. Seasom with salt and oil. Place in a large serving dish.
3.Cook the pasta in salted boiling water till al dente.
4.Drain well and place in the serving dish with pesto, you can add a 1-2 tbsp of cooking water if the sauce is too dry. Toss gently, sprinkle with some roasted almonds and serve hot.