Food & Drinks
Busiate al pesto trapanese from Giorgio Locatelli (London)
Well-known Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli shares with us today a recipe of his book “Made in Sicily” (2011), the busiate al pesto trapanese. His restaurant Locanda Locatelli, on the Seymour Street, has 1 Michelin Star since a decade. Some say the restaurant is the best Italian restaurant in London. While he cooks his wife, Plaxy, runs the front desk. You will find in his restaurant some antipastis, fish, meat, pasta dishes and wonderful desserts. Locatelli has been in many TV shows and featured in popular British newspapers. In 2006 his book “Made in Italy”, a collection of recipes and stories, was published.
Giorgio Locatelli – credit photo Lisa Linder
Pesto trapanese – Tomato and almond pesto
Makes about 600g
Ingredients:
- 75g almonds
- 500g plum tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 40g fresh mint, shredded
- 50ml olive oil
How to make it:
Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Lay the almonds in a single layer on a baking tray and put into the oven for about 8 minutes. As long as they are in a single layer you don’t need to turn them. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn, and when they are golden, take them out and chop them.
Put the tomatoes into a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain them under cold water and you should be able to peel them easily. Cut them in half, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon, and chop the flesh.
Grind the toasted almonds with the garlic, using a pestle and mortar, until you have a paste. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and mint and pound again very briefly, just to crush the tomatoes a little. Then add the olive oil a little at a time, working it into the paste.
Busiate al pesto trapanese – Busiate with pesto trapanese
Serves 4
1 quantity of pesto trapanese (see below)
For the pasta:
- 175g semolina flour
- 75g flour plus extra for dusting
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Busiate al pesto – recipe of Giorgio Locatelli from his hook Made in Sicily – credit photo Lisa Linder
Put all the pasta ingredients into a food mixer with a paddle and whiz until everything comes together in a dough, then leave it to rest for 20 minutes.
Have ready a baking sheet, dusted with flour. To form the busiate, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 2mm thick. Cut it lengthways into strips 1cm wide. Take each strip and coil it tightly along the length of a large skewer or clean knitting needle. Roll the skewer or needle gently over your work surface, so that you flatten the pasta slightly and help the coil of pasta to stick to itself, then push it gently off the skewer or needle and lay it on the floured baking sheet. Repeat with all the strips of pasta, laying them on the sheet in a single layer to dry for about an hour, until they hold their shape.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add salt. Put in the busiate and cook for about 5 minutes, or if using packet pasta, for 1 minute less than directed.
Drain lightly, put back in the pan, add the pesto, and toss all together.
Enjoy!
Recipe copyright Locanda Locatelli
8 Seymour Street – Call 02074869271
