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–+ servings

Bucatini with Burrata and Sicilian Almond Pesto

Karen Tedesco
Thick bucatini pasta noodles in a sun-dried tomato almond pesto, Sicilian-style. Quick and so delicious!
4.73 from 11 community reviews
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 867 kcal

Ingredients
 

Almond Pesto

  • ½ cup (71.5 g) whole almonds toasted for 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven
  • ¾ cup (150 g) moist sun-dried tomatoes rehydrated in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
  • 1 cup (loosely packed) (60 g) Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 cup (loosely packed) (60 g) fresh basil leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup (115 g) grated pecorino Romano cheese

Pasta

  • 1 pound (450 g) dried bucatini pasta
  • 4 ounces (125 g) burrata cheese
  • Grated pecorino Romano cheese and fresh basil and/or parsley leaves optional, for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions
 

Make the pesto

  • Pulse the almonds in a food processor for a few seconds until they're roughly chopped.
  • Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, garlic, chili and salt and pulse to a rough paste. Add the olive oil and continue to process until the sauce is like crunchy almond butter - you want small pieces of almond in there so don't go overboard.
  • Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and stir in the cheese.

Make the pasta

  • Bring a large (5- 6 quart) pot of water to a boil. Season with 3 tablespoons salt. 
  • Cook the pasta until it's al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta.
  • Mix ½ cup of the pasta water into the pesto until it forms a creamy, saucy consistency, adding more water a little at a time if it's too thick. Add the hot pasta to the bowl and toss with the sauce.
  • Tear the burrata into pieces and distribute over the pasta (it will be too soft to slice). Sprinkle the pasta with a little more grated Romano cheese and some of the herb leaves, if you like.

Notes

  • If you don't have bucatini, this pesto sauce would be great on rigatoni or even spaghetti.
  • Buffalo or fresh mozzarella balls make an excellent substitute for burrata cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 867kcalCarbohydrates: 106gProtein: 32gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 464mgPotassium: 1588mgFiber: 11gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 8581IUVitamin C: 97mgCalcium: 497mgIron: 10mg