This Sicilian pesto pasta recipe is a super light and fresh recipe from my hubby’s home region, Sicily. I used homemade casarecce but, of course, you can use dried pasta too.
Known as pesto alla Siciliana, this is a creamy no-cook sauce. So, you can have this dish on the table in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.
A little pesto alla Siciliana history.
Sicily is not the part of Italy where pesto originated. That, in fact, is Liguria home to pesto Genovese (basil pesto). The Genovese invented basil pesto in the 1800s. Today, it’s probably one of the most popular and well-known Italian condiments.
Apparently, it was Genovese sailors who first introduced pesto to the Sicilians, particularly those living in Trapani, which was an important port of call for the Genovese merchant ships. However, the Sicilians started making their own versions of pesto using local ingredients.
Different Sicilian pesto recipes.
Over time, a number of Sicilian pesto recipes developed. Among the most well-known are pistachio pesto and pesto Trapanese (from Trapani). Some people say pesto Trapanese and pesto alla Siciliana are the same. But I don’t think so. Neither does my Sicilian hubby!
What is the difference between pesto Trapanese and pesto alla Siciliana?
According to most the recipes I looked at (there were a lot), pesto Trapanese contains peeled almonds, whereas pesto alla Siciliana usually has pine nuts. However, some people do make this version with almonds or even with pistachios, both typical Sicilian ingredients.
Also, many recipes for pesto Trapanese specify pink garlic (aglio rosso) and the only cheese is normally pecorino. This Sicilian pesto has fresh ricotta as well as Parmigiano or grana. Both recipes have peeled ripe tomatoes and fresh basil.
Ingredients.
Like many traditional Italian recipes, there are some different versions of this Sicilian pesto. However, the differences are quite small.
The tomatoes.
Some people cook the peeled tomatoes before blending them. I didn’t. And most the recipes I found don’t call for it. Also, not all recipes say to peel the tomatoes. I guess it depends on how thick the skins are and your preference.
The best tomatoes to use for pesto are deep red ripe San Marzano, datterini (small date tomatoes) or vine tomatoes. Sicilians like to use Pachino tomatoes which are cultivated in Southeast Sicily.
The only time-consuming part to prepping this pesto is peeling the tomatoes if you decide to do it. This can be done with a potato peeler or by cutting an ‘x’ into the bottom of each tomato and then blanching them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then transferring them to some ice-cold water. The peel should then be easy to remove.
The cheese.
Pesto alla Siciliana has 2 types of cheese in it. The first is fresh ricotta, which can be cow’s or sheep’s milk ricotta. Ricotta pesto is so creamy and good! If you've never used ricotta in pesto, you're in for a delicious surprise!
The second cheese is either Parmigiano or Grana. However, neither of the latter two are vegetarian cheeses. Traditionally, they are made with animal rennet. Strict vegetarians will need to use a vegetarian parmesan or other hard cheese.
Other ingredients in this pesto with ricotta.
Apart from the tomatoes, cheese and nuts, this Sicilian ricotta pesto contains some fresh basil leaves, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. The amount of olive oil is far less than in basil pesto. The tomatoes and ricotta contain liquid and so the olive oil is more for flavour than consistency.
What pasta goes with Sicilian pesto?
As I mentioned above, I served my Sicilian pesto with homemade casarecce pasta. Casarecce is a short pasta from Sicily, although it’s popular throughout Italy.
Many pasta companies make dried casarecce so, it’s not difficult to find! However, if you’d like to try making your own, check out my homemade casarecce. I made it 2 ways, completely by hand and using a pasta dough press.
Of course, you can use other types of pasta instead. I think fusilli or short tubes like penne would be great too. I’ve also come across recipes for this Sicilian pesto with busiate (particularly short busiate), Sicilian maccheroni, spaghetti, orecchiette and farfalle (bow-tie pasta). So, whatever is in your pantry is probably a good pairing!
Other serving suggestions for pesto alla Siciliana.
Like most types of Italian pesto, this ricotta pesto can also be served as a dip, on bruschetta or even on pizza! You can also add some other veggies to the dish such as roasted cherry tomatoes, fried zucchini or fried eggplant!
I’m sure once you try this Sicilian pesto, you’ll be adding it to your list of favourite summer pasta recipes. It’s so light, fresh and easy to make.
If you make this recipe I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
More pesto or Sicilian recipes to try.
- Basil Pesto Lasagna from Liguria
- Spicy Pesto Calabrese from Calabria
- Pistachio Pesto from Sicily
- Casarecce Pasta Caponata Recipe from Sicily
- Sicilian Ricotta Pasta
Why not save this recipe for later?
If you want to save this creamy pesto with ricotta for later, you can print it, bookmark this page or save it to Pinterest.
Want to know more about my life in Italy? Why not subscribe to my newsletter? New subscribers get a free series of recipe e-books too!
Sicilian Pesto Pasta (Pesto Alla Siciliana)
Equipment
- food blender or processor
Ingredients
- 400 g ripe datterini tomatoes (14oz) or San Marzano or vine tomatoes. Peeled and chopped
- 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano or grana (3.5oz) Vegetarians should use a vegetarian cheese.
- 200 g fresh ricotta (7oz) Cow's or sheep's milk ricotta.
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
- 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
- salt to taste
- 400 g casarecce pasta (14oz) or other short pasta
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Wash and peel the tomatoes (see post for how to peel tomatoes) Cut them in half and remove most the seeds and liquid. You can also use unpeeled tomatoes if you prefer. Peel the garlic. Wash the basil leaves and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Make the Sicilian pesto
- Add the tomatoes to your blender or food processor and pulse a couple of times. Then add the garlic, pine nuts and Parmigiano. Pulse again a few times. Then add the basil leaves and a little olive oil. Pulse in short spurts to avoid heating the blender and ruining the basil. If your sauce seems too liquid, add more grated cheese.
- Pour the pesto into a bowl and add the ricotta and salt to taste. Mix the ricotta in with a fork. Store your pesto in an airtight jar in the fridge for 2-3 days or use immediately.
Cook the pasta
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Homemade casarecce take about 10-15 minutes depending on the size you make them. Test taste before draining.
- Save a cup of pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and pour it back into the pot. Add the Sicilian pesto and mix well. If the sauce seems thick add some of the pasta cooking water. Serve immediately with more ricotta or grated cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of one of my pasta recipe cookbooks!?
Veronika says
This Sicilian pesto looks so delicious! I just saved the recipe to make it next week. Cannot wait to try it!
Veronika Sykorova says
This was my first time trying a pesto with tomatoes and it was so delicious! I used San Marzano tomatoes and it came out amazing.
Jacqui says
I'm happy to hear you liked this pesto Veronika! Tomatoes in pesto is typical in Sicily where they also make pesto trapanese with tomatoes but without the ricotta. You can find that recipe here on The Pasta Project too.
Lauren Michael Harris says
I've never had a pesto like this before! It sounds simple, yet delicious. I would also like to try the pesto with the pistachios - yum!!
Jacqui says
Thank you for your comment Lauren. Yes this pesto is simple and delicious! Pesto with pistachios is one of my favourites!
Elaine says
I am always excited to learn more about the the Sicilian cuisine. Everything I try seems to be so delicious! And the ease of this recipe makes me really happy - just what I need right now!
Jacqui says
Sicilian cuisine is wonderful Elaine, and I'm not just saying that because my hubby is Sicilian! This is a super recipe, easy and delicious. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Cathleen says
Every time I go to your website, I want to make all of your recipes!! Definitely going to by trying this one soon, bookmarked to make this weekend 🙂
Jacqui says
Thank you for the nice comment Cathleen! I'm sure you'll love this recipe as much as we do!
Bernice says
What?! I've never heard of this style of pesto with soft ricotta...and it sounds absolutely amazing. I have all the ingredients, including my own home grown Roma tomatoes so I'm saving this recipe to try. Now I have to decided between pizza and pasta...
Jacqui says
This pesto will be so good with your home grown tomatoes Bernice! Do let me know how it turns out when you make it!
Chef Dennis says
Yum! I am looking forward to taste one of the dishes from Sicily. This casarecce pasta with Sicilian pesto looks absolutely mouthwatering.
Jacqui says
Thank you Dennis! This is a great Sicilian pasta recipe. I'm sure you'll really enjoy it!
Gloria says
Wow, what a change of pace for traditional pesto made with basil. I love the sound of this creamy sauce. Easy to make give it bonus points from me.
Jacqui says
Hi Gloria, I love basil pesto too but yes, it's great to try alternative Italian pesto recipes. This Sicilian pesto really is very easy to make and so creamy and delicious!
Sharmila Kingsly says
The pasta is so fresh and bursting with flavors.. I'm ready to make some for me !!
Jacqui says
I'm sure you'll love this Sicilian pesto Sharmila! Definitely very flavourful!
Teodora Grujic says
I can see this on my table tonight! Thank you for this delicious, authentic, and easy recipe.
Jacqui says
Happy you like this pesto recipe Teodora. I'm sure you'll really enjoy eating it!
Keri Bevan says
I loved this recipe! Thanks so much!
Jacqui says
So glad you liked this Sicilian pesto Keri!
nava says
Wow this came out great! So fresh and amazing, almost makes up for the Italy trip I had to cancel 😉
Jacqui says
So sorry to hear you had to cancel a trip to Italy Nava! I hope you'll get to come in the near future. In the meantime, it's nice to be able to bring a tase of Italy to your table with recipes like this Sicilian pesto!
Natalie says
Lovely lunch idea. Looks delicious, perfect for summer. I will definitely give this a try
Jacqui says
Yes definitely a great summer lunch dish Natalie. It's light and fresh and easy to make.
Danielle Wolter says
OMG this was incredible! I absolutely loved the use of ricotta and the sauce was amazing! So easy to make too.
Jacqui says
Isn't ricotta fabulous in pesto Danielle? So happy you enjoyed this Sicilian pesto!
Katherine says
I love all the fresh Italian flavors in this pasta! That sauce sounds out of this world.
Jacqui says
I'm glad you like this Sicilian pesto Katherine! Yes it's full of Italian flavours and so delicious! You can eat it on bread too!
Anjali says
I hadn't heard of this specific type of pesto before I came across your recipe, but I'm so glad I did!! This was so creamy, fresh, and delicious - we tossed it with some penne and it turned out great. Will definitely be making it again soon!
Michele says
I had not heard of this before but I loved all the fresh ingredients and gave it a try. It was fabulous! This recipe is a winner! Thanks for sharing.
Beth says
This was so delicious and such a unique dish! My family and I absolutely loved this, and this pasta was gone so fast too! I'll be making this recipe again soon. So tasty and was the perfect dinner!
Angela says
What a fabulous recipe! I love adding ricotta to my tomato sauce, it takes the flavor to a whole new level. My kids went crazy for this too. Thanks so much for sharing!
Heidy says
I am so happy I found your recipe via Pinterest! I was so excited to make this pasta recipe after coming to your blog and seeing how delicious all the pictures were. The recipe came out great, and the family loved it. I am passing the recipe link to a few friends from work! Have a great day!