Pasta with pesto from Trapani

With the cookbook Sicily, translated into Dutch, you will discover the special cuisine the island has to offer. This recipe is a preview of the book, which will be available to buy in early May.

The authors say the following about the recipe in their book:
This is a recipe for a light, refined sauce that is normally used for pasta, but is also delicious with fried fish or on warm sourdough bread. This is the way our friend Marco Piraino prepares this traditional sauce. It is usually made without aubergines, but we love the extra flavour and texture. Use this sauce with fresh or dried pasta. In Sicily, it is often served with busiate, a type of pasta shaped like a corkscrew.

Method
Make a cross in each tomato and place them in a bowl of boiling-hot water for 1 or 2 minutes, until the skin splits. Remove them from the hot water with a slotted spoon, place them in a bowl of ice-cold water and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, coarsely grind the almonds in a food processor and heat enough rapeseed oil in a small pan to fry the aubergine. Fry the aubergine cubes until golden brown and remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Peel the tomatoes, discard the skins and dice the flesh. Pound the garlic with salt and pepper to taste, the Parmesan cheese, basil and olive oil in a mortar until you have a coarse paste. Add the almonds and tomatoes, pound briefly and mix everything together. Finally, add the aubergine and stir through. Mix with hot, cooked pasta.

Sicily

Gian Carlo and Kate Caldesi.
€ 24,95
Good Cook