PASTA ALLE MANDORLE E POMODORINI SECCHI DI SANTA MARIA AL BAGNO

Pasta alle Mandorle e Pomodorini Secchi di Santa Maria al Bagno image

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

4 fat cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Zest of 1 large orange, removed in strips with a potato peeler
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
1 small, dried red chile pepper, crushed, or 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 cup good red wine
4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, drained of their oil and thinly shredded
4 ounces dried black olives, stones removed
12 ounces bucatini or other dried string pasta
Coarse sea salt for the water
1 handful of torn basil leaves

Steps:

With a mezzaluna or a very sharp knife, mince the garlic and the zest to a paste.
In a sauté pan over a medium flame, heat the olive oil and add the almonds, sautéing them a minute or two in the oil, taking care not to let them get too dark. Remove from the flame and add the garlic/orange paste and the crushed chile, stirring them about and permitting them to scent the oil and the almonds. Set the pan aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the wine and add the sun-dried tomatoes and the dried olives, bringing the mixture just to a simmer. Remove the pan from the flame, cover it, and permit the tomatoes and the olives to plump up a bit for 10 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and the olives with a slotted spoon and add them to the sauté pan with the almonds. Reduce the remaining wine over a lively flame to a tablespoon or so and add it to the sauté pan.
Cook the pasta in abundant boiling, sea-salted water to al dente, draining it but leaving it somewhat wet. Transfer the pasta to a large, shallow, warmed bowl, tossing it with the just rewarmed sauce, coating each strand. Strew the pasta with a few torn leaves of basil and present it with good red wine.