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A bowl of pasta with tomato sauce, topped with grated cheese and fresh basil leaves, sits in front of a box labeled Ancient Grain Pasta. The pasta box is partially open, revealing tube-shaped noodles inside.

Ditalini alla Trapanese with Passata Butter Emulsion & Aged Balsamic

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A velvety tomato-butter emulsion wraps each ditalini in glossy richness, layered with almondy pesto, crispy breadcrumbs, and aged balsamic for a dish that hits every note.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Sicilian
Calories: 1425
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Passata Butter Emulsion
  • 1 cup Bona Furtuna passata
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter cold and cubed
  • 1 clove garlic smashed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
Toasted Sicilian Breadcrumbs (Muddica Atturrata)
  • ¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
To Finish
  • 1 ¼ cups ditalini pasta
  • 5 oz Bona Furtuna Wild Fennel & Almond Pesto
  • 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon ricotta salata finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh basil for garnish
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Nonstick skillet

Method
 

Passata Butter Emulsion
  1. In a saucepan over low heat, warm olive oil and add the smashed garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
  2. Add passata and reduce for 5 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and whisk in cold butter cubes one at a time to emulsify. Discard garlic. Keep warm.
Toasted Breadcrumbs (Muddica Atturrata)
  1. In a small pan, heat olive oil over medium-low.
  2. Add breadcrumbs and salt, toasting until golden and fragrant (about 3 minutes). Set aside.
Cook the Pasta
  1. Boil ditalini in salted water until just al dente.
  2. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
Assemble
  1. Toss ditalini with the passata butter emulsion in a pan over low heat. Add pasta water as needed.
  2. Fold in Wild Fennel & Almond Pesto until glossy and combined.
To Finish
  1. Plate the pasta. Drizzle with aged balsamic and extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Top with breadcrumbs, ricotta salata, fresh basil, and cracked pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 1425kcalCarbohydrates: 161gProtein: 32gFat: 72gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 38gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 555mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 835IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 3mg

Notes

Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or pasta water to loosen the sauce back up, the breadcrumbs won't stay crisp once refrigerated, so toast a fresh batch or skip them on reheat.

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