Pasta and Sicilian Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped almonds
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated firm pecorino or Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
8 ounces dried mostaccioli or penne pasta

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a food processor bowl combine nuts, cheese, and garlic. Cover and process until chopped. Add about half the basil and all of the oil; process until basil is chopped, stopping the machine occasionally to scrape the sides. Add remaining basil and repeat. Add tomatoes; process with several on/off turns; the tomatoes should remain chunky. (If the mixture is too smooth, add some fresh chopped tomato.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. If you prefer warm sauce, pour the sauce into a saucepan; heat through. Serve sauce over pasta. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

4. Make-Ahead Tip: Store sauce, covered, in refrigerator up to 2 days. Heat or bring to room temperature to serve.