Giorgio Locatelli - Made in Sicily

If you say pesto to most people, they think of pesto genovese (named after Genoa), made with Parmesan, pine nuts and basil; but if you say pesto to a Sicilian, they think of pesto trapanese (named after Trapani), made with almonds and tomatoes ( Pesto trapanese). The word ‘pesto’ comes from the verb pestare, which just means to crush or grind, and it simply refers to a sauce that is traditionally pounded with a pestle and mortar, so the combination of ingredients can be very localised.

As well as working well with vegetables, meat or fish, the pesto-style sauces are obviously perfect tossed through pasta. Of course, you can make pesto by putting all the ingredients into a blender and pressing the pulse button, rather than working it in a pestle and mortar, but doing it by machine will give you a smoother, more refined texture than the more rustic sauce that is the result of using a pestle and mortar.

Salsa salmoriglio

Oil, lemon and herb sauce

Salmoriglio is almost always on the Sicilian table, ready to spoon over vegetables, grilled fish or meat, and there are many different variations: sometimes chopped, sun-dried tomato might be added, sometimes lemon zest along with the lemon juice, or different herbs. You could vary the one below by using 40ml of white wine vinegar in place of the lemon juice, or substituting marjoram for the oregano. Marjoram is a herb that is used a lot in Sicily – our friends at Planeta grow it in huge pots on their terrace. It is the same family as oregano, but a little lighter and slightly more bitter.

Makes about 150ml

120ml olive oil

juice of 2 lemons

30g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

10g dried oregano

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and a dessertspoonful of warm water. Gradually whisk in the parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper until thickened slightly.

Zogghiu

Garlic, mint and lemon sauce

This is another light sauce used for grilled fish, or traditionally for dipping boiled snails into, or spooning over grilled meat.

Makes about 150ml

2 garlic cloves, chopped

sea salt

50g mint, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

6 tablespoons olive oil

Using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic into a paste with 2 pinches of salt, add the mint and continue to crush, then finally work in the lemon juice and the olive oil, a little at a time.

Salsa verde

Green sauce

Again, this is a great sauce for grilled fish.

Makes 300g

1 salted anchovy

3 whole green olives in brine

1 garlic clove

100g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

30g pine nuts

15g salted capers, rinsed and well drained

1 slice of good white bread, soaked in vinegar

yolk of 1 large hard-boiled egg

120ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

15ml white wine vinegar, or to taste

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse and dry the anchovy. Run your thumb gently along the backbone to release it, and you should be able to easily pull it out.

Drain the olives and pat dry. With a sharp knife, make three or four cuts in each olive from end to end, and then cut each segment away from the stone as carefully as you can.

Grind the garlic, anchovy and parsley using a pestle and mortar until you have a green paste, then add the pine nuts, capers and olives and pound for a few more minutes. Add the bread and pound again. Work in the hard-boiled egg yolk, and finally add the oil, a little at a time, working it in well as you go. Taste and add vinegar, and/or salt and pepper as you wish. If you like a thinner, creamier sauce, add a little more extra virgin olive oil.

MandorleAlmonds

‘A symbol of good fortune’

Almonds are so important throughout Italy, in cakes, amaretti biscuits and amaretto liqueur, and are a symbol of good fortune: sugar-coated almonds, known as confetti, are traditional at Italian weddings and baptisms. In Sicily they are also used in savoury dishes, in pestos ( Pesto trapanese), and in salads ( broccoli, almond and chilli salad), but what is sad is that whereas the pistachios of Bronte ( Il pistacchio verde di Bronte) have been recognised as special, and command high prices, almonds have been left behind.

Many people in the countryside have an almond tree in their garden. However, where once you would see almonds being grown commercially all over the island, the nuts have had to fight in the market place with cheaper ones produced around the world, and have ended up being priced out. So many people have pulled up their almond groves, and planted grapes and olives instead, and while almonds are used as much in Sicilian cooking as ever, especially in the beloved almond paste, or marzipan, the nuts are often not home grown, but cheaper imports.

However, there is hope for the most famous almond groves, in the Siracusa area, between Noto and Avola, where Slow Food are now championing three old varieties of almond: the squat-shaped, perfumed and quite intense Romana, the longer, more elegant, pointed Pizzuta d’Avola, and the Fascionello, which is a good all-round almond.

Pesto trapanese

Tomato and almond pesto

Use this with fish or meat, or toss through pasta.

Makes about 600g

75g almonds

500g plum tomatoes

4 garlic cloves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

40g fresh mint, shredded

50ml olive oil

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Lay the almonds in a single layer on a baking tray and put into the oven for about 8 minutes. As long as they are in a single layer you don’t need to turn them. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn, and when they are golden, take them out and chop them.

Put the tomatoes into a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain them under cold water and you should be able to peel them easily. Cut them in half, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon, and chop the flesh.

Grind the toasted almonds with the garlic, using a pestle and mortar, until you have a paste. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and mint and pound again very briefly, just to crush the tomatoes a little. Then add the olive oil a little at a time, working it into the paste.

Salsetta di mandorle e acciughe

Almond and anchovy sauce

The touch of cinnamon in this is a reminder of the Arab influence in Sicily. Use this like a pesto, with vegetables, fish or pasta.

Makes about 350g

6 salted anchovies

90g almonds

60g breadcrumbs

10 mint leaves, chopped

a pinch of ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

140ml olive oil, or as needed

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

Rinse and dry the anchovies. Run your thumb gently along the backbone to release it, then you should be able to easily pull it out.

Spread the almonds over a baking tray and the breadcrumbs over a separate tray. Put both in the oven to toast for about 8 minutes until golden, keeping an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn, then remove and chop the almonds.