They’re made with only durum wheat semolina and water. And with their short, spiral shape, busiate trapanesi are one of the most characteristic handmade pastas of western Sicily, made by shaping the pasta around a long pin, called a buso. In the past this spiral shape was given by the stem of a plant, risa, a local grass that was used to bind sheaves of wheat, around which the pieces of pasta were wrapped.
Trapani-style pesto, the perfect sauce for busiate
Forget about pine nuts and instead picture a pesto sauce made with tomatoes and almonds. This Trapani version of the typical Ligurian sauce is, in fact, bright red. A mix of Mediterranean flavors, almonds, ripe tomatoes and the intense scent of basil are the perfect match for this pasta with an unforgettable texture. A fresh condiment with an intense taste is best made with pizzutelli tomatoes, which are firm, compact and have a strong flavor.
The recipe for busiate trapanesi
This is the perfect dish for saying goodbye to summer. Here’s how to make it.
Ingredients
2 2/3 cups durum wheat semolina, 11 oz. tomatoes, 1 bunch basil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup skinned almonds, 4 oz. ricotta salata or Sicilian Pecorino cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, 1 cup water, 1 pinch salt.
Instructions
Heap the semolina on a working surface and add a pinch of salt and then the water, little by little. Knead the mixture until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough, then let it rest wrapped in plastic wrap for at least 30 minutes. Pinch off a ball of dough from the large ball, roll it out on the floured surface to get sticks about 4-5 inches long that you’ll then wrap around a thin knitting needle or a wooden skewer one by one, forming the typical spiral shape. Remove the busiata and leave it to dry on a floured tray. Finish all the dough and then leave the busiate to rest for about 1 hour.
For the sauce
Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, drain them, remove their skins and chop them into pieces. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them in a mortar along with the basil leaves. Add a pinch of salt and the almonds and continue crushing in the mortar until you have obtained a homogeneous mixture. Add the tomato and work them until they are incorporated into the other ingredients. Finish with a little oil. At this point bring a large pot of water to boil, then add salt and gently place the busiate in the pot to cook. Let them cook for 6-8 minutes and then drain them into a bowl, keeping two tablespoons of cooking water to mix with the sauce, then use it to season the pasta. Serve with a sprinkling of ricotta salata cheese and a few leaves of fresh basil.