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few minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then add the olives, oregano, and most of the parsley and cook for 1 minute.
Drain the pasta and toss it in the sauce along with a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid to amalgamate the flavors. Serve topped with more parsley.
BEHIND THE SHAPE
Depending on the region, fusilli can vary widely in both width and length. The longer version is called fusilli lunghi , while the short, wide version is called fusilloni . Their name comes from the spindle tool called a fuso , which was used in the past to make them.

PASTA WITH ALMOND-TOMATO PESTO
    { Pasta al pesto alla Trapanese }
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    SERVES 4 | REGION: Sicily, province of Trappani
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This is the perfect way to show off summer’s ripe tomatoes at their best! Almonds impart a creamy sweetness that goes well with the acidic tang of fresh tomatoes.
Unlike most pesto, this one does not contain cheese, but is topped instead with crunchy breadcrumbs.
Traditionally, pesto Trapanese is served with a homemade fresh pasta specialty of Sicily called busiati , made by rolling thin sections of pasta dough around a knitting needle, which gives the pasta its name. This charming pasta shape is also found dried, available in gourmet shops or online.
½ cup (80 g) blanched toasted almonds
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
About 30 fresh basil leaves
3 large ripe tomatoes
1 pound (455 g) busati or any pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Homemade breadcrumbs, toasted
In a mortar and pestle, small food processor, or clean coffee grinder, finely grind the almonds and garlic, then stream in ¼ cup (60 ml) oil. Last, grind in most of the basil leaves. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more basil, garlic, or oil. Put the pesto into a serving bowl.
Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for 1 minute, then into cold water. Remove the skin, deseed, and dice. Stir the tomatoes into the pesto, reserving a bit for garnish.
Boil the pasta in salted water until it is al dente. Drain and toss with the pesto. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and top with the breadcrumbs and reserved tomatoes.

CHICORY PESTO WITH TROFIE
    { Trofie con salsa di cicoria }
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    SERVE 4 | REGION: Northern and central Italy
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I love this concept. The Italians take a flavorful leafy green, usually eaten in salad, and blanch and puree it to become the base of the pasta sauce. Chicory’s pleasant bitterness is mellowed by creamy ricotta with a pop of lemony tang and the sweet touch of almonds. A green dream pesto!
Ready in minutes, sophisticated, simple, healthful, satisfying, and very pretty on the plate: exactly what you’d expect from today’s Italy.
½ cup (80 g) whole blanched almonds
Olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 medium head chicory, about 1 pound (455 g)
1 pound trofie or other short pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (60 g) ricotta
In a small food processor or blender, grind the almonds until they resemble coarse sand, then slowly stream in ¼ cup (60 ml) oil and the lemon juice until creamy.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Wash and chop the chicory and boil until it is bright green, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicory, squeeze it dry, add it to the food processor, and puree it into the almond mixture. Reserve the cooking water.
Return the cooking water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and the pasta, and boil until it is al dente. Drain and toss with the pesto, seasoning with pepper and salt. Serve topped with dollops of ricotta and garnish with the zest.
BEHIND THE SHAPE
Trofie , a Ligurian specialty, are tiny twirls of pasta tapered at both ends. During times of poverty, the poor farmers of Liguria would make trofie with chestnut flour, a staple that provided their main sustenance, and indeed the name of this pasta comes from the ancient Greek word for nourishment. They are available in the States dried, but I always buy a few pounds of the locally made trofie when I visit the seaside town of Camogli in