Busiate with Sicilian Pesto and Confit Datterini

Today I'm craving the sun and Sicily, so I decided to prepare one of the famous Sicilian pastas: busiate with Sicilian pesto and confit datterini.

Busiate is a special type of durum wheat pasta native to the Trapani area. Its shape is influenced by Arab heritage; its shape is created by thin strands twisted into a spiral.

We could say it's a long fusilli, but shaped like a coil. The pasta is rolled around a sprig of buso, a native plant of western Sicily, from which its name derives.

Thanks to their shape, busiate are very versatile and add flavor to any dish; their "curls" trap the sauce between their spirals, creating a riot of flavors.

Recipe of Busiate Pasta with Sicilian Pesto and Confit Datterini Cherry Tomatoes

Let's start by making the pasta with durum wheat semolina: for every 100 grams of flour, use about 50 grams of water. Knead the dough until it forms a smooth, even ball, cover, and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

While the pasta rests, let's prepare the Sicilian pesto: take some vine-ripened tomatoes, cut them into quarters, and remove the core. Then, cut them again and place them in a blender with the basil. Obviously, since it's a pesto, it should be made in a mortar, but for convenience, you can also use a blender or an immersion blender; just don't overheat the blades.

Blend the tomatoes with the basil, then add the blanched almonds and ricotta, and, if desired, a small piece of garlic and the Parmesan cheese. Once blended, taste and adjust the consistency with salt, pepper, and oil. Separately, we quickly make the confit datterini tomatoes: pour a drizzle of oil into a pan and sprinkle with sugar and a few marjoram leaves. Cut the tomatoes in half and place them backside up, season with salt, and cook over medium-low heat: calculate 7 minutes per side but keep an eye on them to prevent them from burning.

We take the pasta and cut pieces to make thick spaghetti (like pici or bigoli), and from each piece, cut into 6 cm long pieces. We roll them around a long toothpick, and, with back-and-forth movements, we form busiate pasta, similar to maccheroni al ferretto.

We cook the pasta and toss it with our pesto and cherry tomatoes. We'll drink an Etna white in our glass, so we can stay in Sicily for the whole meal!