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1
Peel the tomatoes and halve them. Squeeze each half firmly over a bowl to expel seeds and excess water. Set the flesh aside. This step is essential: a wet tomato will thin the pesto and destroy its texture.
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2
Place the garlic clove and sea salt in a large mortar. Pound with the pestle until the garlic is reduced to a smooth paste — no visible chunks remain.
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3
Add the blanched almonds to the mortar. Pound in a steady circular motion, pressing against the mortar wall, until the almonds form a coarse, cream-coloured paste. Work in batches if the mortar is small. The paste should smell clean and milky, not sharp.
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4
Add the squeezed tomato flesh in two or three additions, pounding after each. This is where the dish lives or dies: work the tomatoes to a coarse, visibly red paste — not a smooth purée. Chunks of tomato must remain. Using a blender at any stage produces an emulsified foam that is not pesto trapanese.
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5
Add the basil leaves last. Pound lightly — only enough to bruise and incorporate them. The pesto should remain red and coarse, with basil fragrance rising clearly from the mortar.
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6
Drizzle in the olive oil and stir through with the pestle. The pesto should loosen to a saucing consistency while remaining rough in texture.
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7
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the fresh busiate until al dente — the spiral grooves should have just enough resistance at the centre to grip the pesto. Reserve a few tablespoons of pasta water before draining.
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8
Drain the busiate and transfer to a wide bowl. Spoon the raw pesto over the pasta and add a tablespoon or two of pasta water to loosen as needed — the pesto is never heated. Toss until every spiral is coated. Serve immediately, with ricotta salata grated lightly at the table if desired.