Recipe for the easiest pasta in the world (and it’s delicious!)
Sicily is a special place in Italy. As if time has stood still there, perhaps a touch mysterious, and above all: with an exceptionally rich cuisine, full of the sunny flavours nature offers the island. The cuisine of Sicily by Fabrizia Lanza is a tribute to that classic food culture. We’re sharing her recipe for Penne pic pac; the easiest pasta in the world.
Fabrizia grew up in a well-known family of Sicilian winemakers. She worked in the art world in Europe and the US for 25 years before returning to Sicily in 2006 to help her mother with her Anna Tasca Lanza’s Cooking School.
The easiest pasta in the world
This dish is sometimes also called penne pic pac and is the easiest pasta you can imagine. It is made in summer, when tomatoes, garlic and basil are all at their best. The heat from the cooked pasta and the movement and stirring of the raw ingredients mix the juices in the serving bowl.
Even better: let the sauce ingredients sit for a while
If you let the sauce ingredients sit in the bowl for a few hours before adding the pasta, this dish will only get better. The most difficult part is finding truly delicious tomatoes and excellent dried pasta. Look for San Marzano or plum tomatoes and, if possible, artisanal penne (the penne from Feudo Mondello in the Belice Valley is fantastic, but it is difficult to find outside Sicily). This is how to choose the best supermarket pasta.
How to make penne pic pac
Cut a small cross in the bottom of each tomato. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the tomatoes and boil them for 30 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon and let them cool in a bowl. Leave the pan of water on the stove to cook the pasta in.
Once the tomatoes have cooled enough to handle, peel off the skins at the cross – they should come off very easily now. Chop the tomatoes into large pieces. If they are very juicy, place them in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave them to drain for a few minutes to get rid of the excess liquid.
Place the chopped tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Add the garlic, basil and olive oil. If you have not already salted the tomatoes, add salt to taste.
Bring the water in the pan on the stove back to the boil and add plenty of salt. Cook the penne in the boiling water until al dente.
Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the bowl with the tomatoes. Mix everything well, add plenty of pepper and serve the pasta immediately.
Tip: the sauce can be made 2 hours in advance and set aside at room temperature.
Title: The Cuisine of Sicily
Author: Fabrizia Lanza
Price: €35
Publisher: Uitgeverij Brandt
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