Authentic home cooking from Italy, with US measurements.

Originally published on Cookpad Italy as Riccioli con triglia e pesto alla trapanese

Riccioli with Red Mullet and Trapanese Pesto

Name: Riccioli with Red Mullet and Trapanese Pesto
Yield: Serves 4 servings
Ingredients: 14 oz riccioli pasta made from durum wheat semolina (400 grams); For the red mullet, adjust based on size (I used 2 large ones); 14 oz mini plum tomatoes (400 grams); 1 clove garlic; Fresh basil, to taste; 1 fresh red chili pepper; Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste; Almonds, to taste; 1 slice day-old bread; Black pepper, to taste

Tony Mazzanobile @tonyliebt_kocht

Pesto alla trapanese (pasta cull'agghia in Sicilian dialect) is a classic pasta dish from Trapani and all of western Sicily. This pasta sauce is made entirely raw, making it perfect for hot summer days. Also known as "agghiata trapanisa," Trapanese pesto has ancient origins: it's said that Genoese sailors, coming from the East, introduced their traditional green pesto—made with basil, garlic, and pine nuts—to the Sicilians at the port of Trapani. The local sailors adapted the recipe, swapping in ingredients typical of Sicily: thus, the red pesto was born, made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, almonds, and ricotta salata. Over the years, many variations have appeared; you can use sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh, and the sauce is also great on bruschetta. Ricotta salata can be swapped for grated pecorino cheese. Pesto alla trapanese, which the Italian Ministry of Agriculture has recognized as a traditional Sicilian food product, is a creamy, flavorful sauce that pairs especially well with fresh pasta like busiate, a homemade pasta (similar to macaroni, made by twisting dough around a stem from a grass plant) typical of the Trapani area.

Tony Mazzanobile @tonyliebt_kocht

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Ingredients

Serves 4 servings

14 ozriccioli pasta made from durum wheat semolina (400 grams)
For the red mullet, adjust based on size (I used 2 large ones)
14 ozmini plum tomatoes (400 grams)
1 clovegarlic
Fresh basil, to taste
1fresh red chili pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Almonds, to taste
1 sliceday-old bread
Black pepper, to taste

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Steps

1

Remove the tomato skins (score the tops with an X, bring water to a boil, turn off the heat, and immerse the tomatoes for 1 minute. Cool them in ice water or under cold running water). Cut the tomatoes into pieces and place them in a blender cup with plenty of basil, one garlic clove with the germ removed (the traditional recipe uses a lot of garlic), olive oil, salt, and the seeded, chopped chili pepper. Blend, then strain through a fine mesh sieve.
2

Roughly chop the almonds and add them to the sauce. Tear the bread into coarse crumbs and toast them in a small skillet (let them brown a bit first, then drizzle with a few drops of olive oil to finish toasting. If you add the oil at the start, the bread will absorb it too quickly).
3

Clean the red mullet. In a skillet, place a sheet of parchment paper and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Cook the red mullet over low heat for just a couple of minutes total (otherwise, they'll get tough), turning gently to avoid breaking them, and cover the skillet with aluminum foil to create some steam. Break the cooked fish into large pieces, season with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4

Cook the riccioli pasta in plenty of salted water. When done, transfer to a bowl where you've placed the sauce with almonds, the red mullet pieces, and torn basil. Gently toss to combine without mashing the ingredients, and drizzle with a little more raw olive oil. (The sauce should stay very fluid, not dry!)
5

Plate the pasta and top with the toasted bread crumbs.