Pasta alla Trapanese

Name: Pasta alla Trapanese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Siciliana
Ingredients: 400 g busiate (spiral pasta); 500 g ripe plum tomatoes; 100 g blanched almonds; 2 cloves Garlic; 40 g fresh basil leaves; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 60 g pecorino siciliano dop; 5 g Fine sea salt; 1 g Black pepper

A classic Trapanese pasta tossed with a fragrant, raw pesto of ripe tomatoes, blanched almonds, fresh basil, garlic, and pecorino.

🇮🇹Italy· Sicily

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 12 min
Total: 32 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 580 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

400 g busiate (spiral pasta) — fresh or dried
500 g ripe plum tomatoes — sweet vine or datterini tomatoes
100 g blanched almonds — skinless
2 cloves Garlic — peeled, ideally red garlic
40 g fresh basil leaves — washed and dried gently
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — fruity Sicilian oil preferred
60 g pecorino siciliano dop — finely grated
5 g Fine sea salt — plus extra for pasta water
1 g Black pepper — freshly ground

Equipment

•Large pot
•Heavy mortar and pestle
•Slotted spoon
•Colander
•Large mixing bowl

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 580 kcal
fat: 25 g
carbs: 74 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 16 g
calories: 580 kcal

Instructions

1
Score an X on the base of each tomato and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds.
2
Transfer tomatoes to cold water, peel off the skins, remove seeds, and roughly chop the flesh.
3
Toast the blanched almonds lightly in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then let them cool completely.
4
Pound the garlic cloves and a pinch of coarse salt to a smooth paste in a mortar.
5
Add the toasted almonds and pound until you achieve a coarse, crumbly texture.
6
Add the fresh basil leaves gradually, pounding gently against the sides until finely crushed.
7
Work in the chopped tomato pulp, extra virgin olive oil, and grated pecorino to form a rich, textured sauce.
8
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil and cook the busiate until al dente.
9
Drain the pasta, reserving two tablespoons of the hot cooking water.
10
Toss the hot pasta directly with the raw sauce and reserved cooking water in a warm bowl.

Chef's tips

Do not cook the pesto; the sauce must remain raw to preserve the fresh, sweet flavour of the summer tomatoes. If using a food processor instead of a mortar, pulse briefly in short bursts to avoid turning the almonds and basil into an oily purée.

Ingredient substitutions

busiate (spiral pasta) → casarecce, spaghetti, or linguine
Pecorino Siciliano DOP → Pecorino Romano or aged caciocavallo

Storage

Store leftover raw pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days with a thin layer of olive oil over the top.

Reheating

Do not reheat the sauce; bring to room temperature and toss with freshly boiled pasta.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Cooking or simmering the sauce in a pan, which destroys the fresh herbal flavour.
•Over-processing the almonds into a smooth paste rather than keeping a pleasant, coarse texture.
•Using underripe or watery tomatoes, which makes the pesto thin and sour.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately in warmed shallow pasta bowls.Garnish with a few toasted almond slivers and torn fresh basil.Accompany with a chilled glass of Sicilian Grillo or Catarratto white wine.