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Sicily
bavette-with-pistachio-pesto-and-shrimp

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

Pesto di Pistacchi con Gamberi

I had this in a restaurant in Selinunte, a small seaside town in western Sicily famous for its enormous Greek temples. I love to visit historic places, but afterward I am always exhausted and the only cure is a big bowl of pasta.

–G.

Yield : Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 cups whole basil leaves
  • 1 cup shelled pistachios
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for the pasta water
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
  • ½ pound small shrimp, peeled and boiled
  • ¾ pound bavette
  • ¾ pound almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Put the garlic cloves, basil leaves, pistachios, pine nuts, ¼ cup of the olive oil, and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and blend. Gradually pour the rest of the oil through the feed tube until all the ingredients are integrated into a paste with a slightly coarse texture. The pesto must be fluid, not hard or dry. If it is not fluid, turn the food processor back on and add more oil until you have a runny paste.

2. Put the pesto in a large serving bowl, reserving a large spoonful. Place the butter and the cooked shrimp on top of the pesto.

3. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Stir in a small fistful of salt, a splash of olive oil, and the bavette and cook, stirring often so the pasta doesn’t stick together, until the pasta is al dente.

4. While the pasta is cooking, toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan constantly so the almonds don’t burn.

5. Lift the pasta out of the pot and into the bowl with the pesto, butter, and shrimp. Add a splash of pasta water and toss the pasta until the butter is melted and the pasta is coated. Add the toasted almonds and toss again. A tavola! Dust with Parmesan cheese and serve very hot, with more Parmesan on the table.

Notes

We don’t blend pesto completely into a paste because we like to taste the nuts and the basil under our teeth.

We don’t taste pesto when we make it, because pesto gives its best flavor when it is hot, with pasta.


© 2005 Wanda Tornabene and Giovanna Tornabene
 

Nutritional Information

Nutrients per serving

Nutritional information is based on 1 1/2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese per serving.

1697 kcal
38 % daily value
10 % daily value
6 % daily value
1314 mg
363 mg
50 g
8 g
17 g
94 g
120 mg
733 mg
21 g
131 g
54 % daily value

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