RomanItalian
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, Almonds and Taggiasca Olives
by Cucina con Ruben · 548K subscribers on YouTube
A versatile summer pasta dish with a creamy sun-dried tomato pesto, crunchy almonds, and briny Taggiasca olives, finished with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan. Perfect hot or cold for beach outings.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- easy
Ingredients
13 items- 400 gFusillonior other short pasta that holds sauce well
- 150 gDried Tomatoescarnoso, preferably without vinegar; reserve a few for garnish
- 100 gTaggiasca Olivesreserve a few for garnish
- 80 gAlmonds with Skinreserve a few for garnish
- 1 pcsGarlicsmall clove, remove germ if present
- 80 gParmigiano Reggianoplus extra for serving
- Fresh Basila generous handful, plus extra for garnish
- 4 tbspOlive Oilextra virgin, generous amount for pesto
- Saltfor pasta water and to taste
- 1 tspChopped Chili in Oil(optional) — or to taste
- 200 gFresh Cherry Tomatoescherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- Lemon Zestfrom one lemon, for finishing
- Black Pepperto taste
Method
- Prepare the sun-dried tomato pesto: in a blender, combine sun-dried tomatoes (reserve a few whole for later), Taggiasca olives (reserve a few for later), almonds (reserve a few for later), a small piece of garlic (remove the germ if present), Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, a pinch of salt, a splash of cold water, and a generous amount of olive oil. Blend until creamy.
- Taste the pesto and add a bit of chopped chili (from oil) if desired. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook fusilloni pasta until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the sautéed garnish: in a pan, add halved or quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes (the reserved ones), chopped Taggiasca olives (reserved), chopped almonds (reserved), and a few basil leaves. Add a splash of pasta cooking water and a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat gently to warm through and meld flavors.
- Drain the pasta, reserving some cooking water. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the sautéed garnish and toss briefly.
- Add the sun-dried tomato pesto to the pasta and mix well, adding a little pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Finish with a sprinkle of lemon zest, extra Parmesan, and fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately, or let cool for a cold pasta salad.
Cucina con Ruben
Home cookReviewer548K subscribers on YouTube242.9M total channel viewsRuben Bondi - cucina italiana, kosher e giudaico-romana. Diventato noto durante il lockdown cucinando dal balcone a Trastevere.
