busiate al pesto nisseno
busiate in fennel and sun-dried
tomato pesto
A real undiscovered Sicilian gem from the town of Caltanissetta - 'pesto' Nisseno is hardly known at all outside Italy. It's also the pesto that isn't really a pesto, as one of the common ways of preparing it doesn't involve the use of a pestle and mortar or a blender at all - just a little light chopping!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO
(scroll down for the full method)
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prepare the ingredients
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parboil the fennel
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toast the pine nuts
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make some pangrattato
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fry the onions, tomatoes and anchovies
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cook the pasta
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add the fennel to the sauce
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combine sauce and pasta
busiate in fennel and sun-dried
tomato pesto
FOR FOUR PEOPLE
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2 big bunches of fennel
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2 handfuls sun-dried tomatoes
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1 small onion
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1 handful pine nuts
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3-4 anchovies
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pangrattato
PASTA
400g fresh dry busiate / rigatoni / casarecce
MANTECATURA
minimal
METHOD
This is the 'unblended' version of Pesto Nissan and, I think, much juicier and interesting and less stodgy!
The best way to prepare it is actually all by eye - begin by par-boiling the fennel for maybe a minute or so so that the stalks are noticeably more tender. Drain them and chop them finely, then set them aside.
Toast some pine nuts gently in a non-stick pan and then set aside.
Make some pangrattato by blending a pannino or ciabatta until you get fine breadcrumbs, then fry them gently in EVO until they're golden. You can add fresh chilli or cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick!
Chop an onion or shallot and fry it gently until it's clear, don't let it colour at all. Add the chopped tomatoes and anchovies and cook until the anchovy melts into the sauce, then add the pine nuts.
When the pasta's boiled, add the chopped fennel to the sauce together with a splash of pasta cooking water, toss to combine, then plate.
