Lidias Pesto Trapanese Food

PASTA ALLA TRAPANESE: TRAPANESE-STYLE PASTA

Steps:

• To make the sauce also called 'pesto alla trapanese': Put the tomatoes, garlic and basil in a large mortar. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, salt and use a pestle to crush the ingredients into a paste. If the pesto looks too dry, add more olive oil. Crush the ingredients until the pesto sauce is even in consistency. Alternatively, place the above ingredients in a food processor and puree.
• Heat up extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan and fry the eggplant until golden.
• Place the fried eggplant on an absorbent paper towel to drain the excess oil. Season the eggplant, while hot, with salt. Follow the same procedure to fry up the potatoes. Place the spaghetti in a pot of boiling salted water. Stir initially to prevent the strands from sticking.
• Drain the spaghetti when it is 'al dente'. Place the spaghetti in a large mixing bowl, add the pesto sauce, half the quantity of the fried eggplant, potatoes, Pecorino cheese, and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a large serving bowl and top with the remaining eggplant, potatoes and Pecorino cheese. Serve immediately.

LIDIA BASTIANICH'S SPAGHETTI AND PESTO TRAPANESE

Steps:

• Rinse the cherry tomatoes and pat them dry. Rinse the basil leaves and pat dry. Drop the tomatoes into the blender jar or food processor bowl followed by the garlic clove, the almonds, basil leaves, peperoncino and salt. Blend for a minute or more to a fine purée; scrape down the bowl and blend again if any large bits or pieces have survived. With the machine still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream, emulsifying the purée into a thick pesto. Taste and adjust seasoning. (If you're going dress the pasta within a couple of hours, leave the pesto at room temperature. Refrigerate it for longer storage, up to 2 days, but let it return to room temperature before cooking the pasta.) To cook the spaghetti, heat 6 quarts of water, with 1 tbsp salt, to a boil in the large pot. Scrape all the pesto into a big warm bowl. Cook the spaghetti al dente, lift it from the cooking pot, drain briefly, and drop onto the pesto. Toss quickly to coat the spaghetti, sprinkle the cheese all over, and toss again. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

ANNA'S SPAGHETTI AND PESTO TRAPANESE (PESTO ALLA ANNA)

Steps:

• Rinse the cherry tomatoes and basil leaves and pat them dry.
• Drop the tomatoes into the blender jar or food processor bowl followed by the garlic clove, the almonds, basil leaves, peperoncino and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend for a minute or more to a fine puree; scrape down the bowl and blend again if any large bits or pieces have survived.
• With the machine still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream, emulsifying the puree into a thick pesto. Taste and adjust seasoning. (If you're going dress the pasta within a couple of hours, leave the pesto at room temperature. Refrigerate if you'll use it longer storage, up to 2 days, but let it return to room temperature before cooking the pasta.)
• To cook the spaghetti, heat 6 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon salt, to the boil in the large pot. Scrape all the pesto into a big warm bowl.
• Cook the spaghetti al dente, lift it from the cooking pot, drain briefly, and drop onto the pesto. Toss quickly to coat the spaghetti, sprinkle the cheese all over, and toss again. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

ANNA'S SPAGHETTI AND PESTO TRAPANESE

Steps:

• Rinse the cherry tomatoes, and pat them dry; rinse the basil leaves and pat dry.
• Drop the tomatoes into the blender jar or food processor bowl, followed by the garlic, almonds, basil leaves, pepper flakes, and 1/2 t salt.
• Blend for a minute or two to a fine puree; scrape down the bowl, and blend again if any large bits or pieces have survived.
• With the machine still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream, emulsifying the puree into a thick pesto.
• Taste, and adjust seasoning.
• Heat 6 quarts water with 1 T salt to the boil in a large pot.
• Scrape all the pesto into a big warm bowl.
• Cook the spaghetti al dente, lift it from the cooking pot; drain briefly, and drop onto the pesto.
• Toss quickly to coat the spaghetti, sprinkle the cheese all over, and toss again.
• Serve immediately in warm bowls.