Not all pestos are green. In fact, pesto comes from the Italian word Pestare, meaning to grind. In Sicily, the most famous pesto is pesto alla trapanese. Hailing from the Mediterranean town of Trapani, Sicily, pesto alla trapanese is one of the most popular Sicilian pasta dishes you'll find outside of Sicily. Adding tomatoes and swapping pine nuts for almonds, Sicilians took the pesto alla genovese and made a dish that's uniquely their own.

BUSIATE ALLA TRAPANESE

INGREDIENTS

▢ 1/2 cup (60 g) Marcona almonds
▢ 1 lb Bona Furtuna Busiate pasta
▢ 1/3 cup (40 g) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
▢ 3 tbsp Bona Furtuna Olive Oil
▢ Handful of fresh basil leaves
▢ 2 tablespoons Bona Furtuna Dried Basil
▢ 2 cloves of garlic, minced
▢ 1 cup Original Passata (or 2 seeded & peeled vine ripe tomatoes)
▢ Black pepper
▢ Your favorite Bona Furtuna Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden and the nuts have an oily sheen. Let cool.
2. Cook the Busiate in salted, boiling water for 8 minutes until al dente.
3. While the pasta cooks, grind the almonds, cheese, olive oil, basil, garlic and tomatoes (if using) into a paste (either with a mortar and pestle or pulse a few times in a food processor).
   If using tomato sauce instead of fresh tomatoes, stir in the tomato sauce now. The pesto should have a little texture and crunch from the almonds when ready.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving a couple tablespoons of the water. Combine the pasta in a large bowl with the pesto, adding a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water for a slightly creamier sauce.
5. Finish with black pepper and a sprinkle of your favorite Bona Furtuna Sicilian Sea Salt. Buon Appetito!