Busiate pasta with bottarga, almonds and prawns
Sicilian seafood pasta doesn’t get much better than this busiate pasta with bottarga and prawns from Trapani. The sweetness of the Mazara prawns and almonds, combined with the salty taste of the bottarga and the addition of fresh basil and parsley to produce a flavour that says Sicily in every mouthful!
Servings: 4
Calories: 623kcal
Ingredients
- 400 g short or long busiate pasta (I used short busiate)
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 2-3 celery stalks
- 100 g almonds
- 100 g bottarga (tuna roe) ready grated or grate yourself
- ½ glass white wine
- 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt for pasta
- black pepper to taste
- 200 g prawns (preferrably Mazzara)
Instructions
- Put a large saucepan of water on to boil for the pasta. When it starts boiling, add salt and bring to the boil again.
- If the prawns are fresh, wash them well, remove the heads, veins and shell, leaving just the tail. (you can also use frozen prawns, preferably still with the tail. In this case just remove most of the shell)
- Chop the basil, parsley, celery, almonds and garlic finely. I used a food processor for the celery, almonds and garlic.
- But the mixture into a frying pan or skillet with the olive oil. Mix together and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the prawns and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I didn't add salt as the bottarga is quite salty)
- Add the white wine and turn up the heat until the alcohol evaporates, then turn the heat off as soon as the prawns are cooked.
- Cook the pasta al dente in the boiling salted water. When the pasta is ready, save a cup of the cooking water and drain.
- Reheat the prawns with some of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta and mix everything together well. If the sauce seems dry, add more pasta cooking water.
- Serve immediately with a generous sprinkling of bottarga.
Notes
If bottarga isn't available, this recipe can be made without it or with another type of fish roe.
Busiate is a typical pasta from Sicily often eaten with seafood. However, this recipe can be served with different types of pasta. I would recommend spaghetti or linguine, or short pasta such as penne or fusilli
The best prawns in Sicily come from Mazara, however you can use other types of fresh or frozen prawns.
Nutrition
Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 494mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 3mg