In an 8-inch pan or skillet, toast almonds over medium-high heat until they release a fragrant toasty aroma. Toss the almonds every minute or so. This should take about 12 minutes over medium heat and 7-8 minutes over medium high heat. When the almonds finish toasting, remove them from the heat and place them on a tray to cool for about 10 minutes.

In a 4-cup molcajete add the garlic and salt. Mash this into a fine paste. This is a key step that ensures the proper emulsification of the pesto.

Add the water to the garlic paste and mix the garlic paste in until it is fully incorporated.

Next add the almonds to the molcajete and mash them into smaller bits.

Add the lemon zest and continue to mash the mixture until the almond and lemon zest begin to approach uniformity in size.

Add about ¼ of cup of your oil and begin to work the mixture into a very rough paste.

Once that oil is fully incorporated, add all of your Pecorino Romano and work that in until the mixture is a dry-ish white pale paste

Add the remaining oil to the molcajete. You can do so by gradually streaming it and incorporating it with the pestle or by adding it in all at once then gently stirring with the pestle to incorporate it. The latter is a bit easier due to how thick the mixture is.

Once the oil is well incorporated add the freshly cracked black pepper, sugar and lemon juice.

Stir this in with the pestle until a beautiful creamy pesto emerges.