Going against the trend of Easter recipes that are all over the web these days, here is my Sicilian pesto.
Ah, you probably won’t make this recipe for Easter lunch, I really don’t think so, but who knows… maybe for Easter Monday you will! Yes, because a cold condiment is ideal for pasta to pack in the picnic basket!
These days the weather is nice, there’s the sun with a pleasant breeze, and I really feel like making fresh recipes that make me look forward to summer, don’t you?
I have been convalescing for a few days after surgery, and I am really enjoying the prescribed rest. Since my husband does the shopping and my daughter washes the dishes (well, okay, not always 😛), I’m focusing on cooking simple things that don’t require much effort. And a pesto is my ideal recipe, it’s healthy, light, quick, and easy to make: it only requires one effort, pressing the blender button! 😀
In recent days, during one of my convalescent relaxation moments on the couch, I leafed through my old recipe notebook for the millionth time, which I’m very fond of and occasionally revisit. The Sicilian pesto recipe is there, written in my own hand about twenty years ago, probably transcribed from a magazine or maybe from a package of spaghetti (as that ‘x vermicelli’ in parentheses suggests). Here it is:
Over the years I’ve repeated this recipe several times, the last being today at lunch. 😊
The idea came to me because yesterday my husband did the shopping and brought home some cherry tomatoes, the first ones after a whole winter of abstinence! How I missed ripe tomatoes! When I got to the stove, I realized I was out of pine nuts, so I improvised with what I had at home, which was sunflower seeds and almonds. Then I decided to add a small stalk of celery, along with the only leaves provided, because it was such tender celery that it seemed just right for this recipe! I hope the Sicilians won’t mind the variations I made. I actually don’t know the real Sicilian pesto recipe, nor do I know if the one in my notebook is correct! So, because I’m meticulous, I thought of asking my friend Tania – who knows about Sicilian recipes – and she explained to me that the versions of this Sicilian pesto can vary from area to area (a bit like it happens here with piadina, where each area and sometimes each family has its own version!). Then she talked to me about the Trapani pesto, which is a bit different from this ‘alla Siciliana’ and uses almonds. So, at least I got it right with the almonds! (If you are interested in the Trapani pesto recipe, this is Tania’s recipe).
But now, dear my Sicilian pesto… now it’s your turn!! 😃
〰〰〰
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 bunch basil
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 stalk celery (small and tender, with leaves included)
- 2 cloves garlic (if large, one is enough)
- 8 cherry tomatoes (or more, if very small)
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon almonds
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- chili pepper (optional)
Tools
- Immersion Blender with chopper
Steps
Wash the vegetables.
Peel the garlic and remove the central germ if present.
Cut the cherry tomatoes and almonds in half.
Place all ingredients in the chopper glass or a small food processor and blend, adding oil gradually until the sauce is creamy.
I used 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. The amount of oil can be adjusted when dressing the pasta if necessary.Add a little chili pepper if desired.
Use this fragrant Sicilian pesto to cold dress freshly drained pasta.
And enjoy your meal! 😋
Salt-Free Tips
Did you notice that even in the recipe written in my notebook twenty years ago… salt does not appear? 😉
For those who don’t know yet, I cook without added salt. And in this article I’ve explained all the hows and whys. 😊
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually, the palate must get used to it gradually and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granule and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally indulge in breaking the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want or can’t give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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