Sicilian pasta with tomatoes, garlic and almonds

I absolutely adore eating this Sicilian pasta cold, should any be left over. It is so easy to make and, being both simple and spectacular, is first on my list for a pasta dish to serve when you have people round.

Sicilian pasta with tomatoes, garlic and almonds. © BBC

• serves

  6

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz)  fusilli lunghi or other pasta of your choice
• salt, to taste
• 250 g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes
• 6 anchovy fillets
• 25 g (1 oz) sultanas
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
• 50 g (2 oz) blanched almonds
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• small bunch basil, leaves picked

Instructions

Put abundant water on to boil for the pasta, waiting for it to come to the boil before salting it. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions, though start checking it a good 2 minutes before it’s meant to be ready.

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by putting all the remaining ingredients, bar the basil, into a processor and blitzing until you have a nubbly-textured sauce.

Just before draining the pasta, remove a cupful of pasta-cooking water and add 2 tablespoons of it down the full of the processor, pulsing as you go.

Tip the drained pasta into your warmed serving bowl. Pour and scrape the sauce on top, tossing to coat (add a little more pasta-cooking water if you need it) and strew with basil leaves.

See Nigella Lawson in Nigellissima. Find details and more recipes from the show here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.