A traditional Sicilian pasta from Trapani made with twisted busiate and a fresh, uncooked pesto of ripe tomatoes, almonds, basil, garlic, Pecorino, and extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients — Serves 4
- 400g busiate pasta
- 400g ripe tomatoes
- 60g blanched almonds
- 1 small garlic clove
- 40g fresh basil leaves
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 50g Pecorino Siciliano, finely grated
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, optional
- ½–1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
1. Prepare the tomatoes
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Score a small cross on the bottom of each tomato and blanch them for about 30 seconds. Transfer immediately to cold water, then peel and roughly chop them.
2. Prepare the almonds
Lightly toast the almonds in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes, just until fragrant. Allow them to cool.
3. Make the Pesto Trapanese
Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and almonds until you have a coarse paste. Add the basil with a pinch of salt and continue crushing.
Add the tomatoes and gently work everything together. Gradually mix in the extra virgin olive oil until you have a rustic, creamy pesto. Stir in the Pecorino.
The pesto should retain some texture rather than becoming completely smooth.
4. Cook the busiate
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the busiate and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions.
Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
5. Combine
Place the pesto in a large serving bowl. Add the hot drained busiate directly to the pesto.
Toss thoroughly, adding a small amount of reserved pasta water as needed until the pesto coats the twisted pasta beautifully.
6. Serve
Serve immediately with a little extra Pecorino, crushed almonds, fresh basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Chef’s Tip 🇮🇹
Do not cook the Pesto Trapanese. It should be mixed with the hot pasta away from direct heat. This preserves the fresh flavors of the tomatoes, basil, almonds, and olive oil.
Final result: Al dente busiate wrapped in a fresh, aromatic Sicilian pesto with sweet tomatoes, fragrant basil, nutty almonds, salty Pecorino, and fruity extra virgin olive oil. 🍝🍅🌿
