Since 1996, Ristorante Il Moro has brought gourmet seafood – with a Mediterranean twist – to Monza in Northern Italy. At the restaurant founded by Vincenzo, Salvatore and Antonella Butticè, you can taste the flavors of Sicily – from the classics of regional cuisine to the raw fish dishes – all made without the obsession for a futuristic, ostentatious presentation. Cunzatu bread, eggplant parmigiana revisited, risotto with beccafico cheese and the crown jewel? Bronzed Paccheri di Gragnano in a pistachio pesto from Agrigento with prawns – the most popular dish. Here is the recipe.
Paccheri di Gragnano with Pistachio Pesto and Prawns
Serves 4
Ingredients:
12 oz Paccheri Di Gragnano
9 oz prawns
3 oz shelled pistachios
½ oz basil
¼ oz garlic
1 ½ oz extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Method:
Clean the prawns, preserving the head. Mix pistachios, basil, garlic and 1 oz of extra virgin olive oil in a blender. Salt to taste.
Prepare a cooking base with the olive oil and brown the prawn heads; lightly crush the heads as they cook and let any coral come out. Pour a ladle of cooking water from the pasta into the saucepan, then chop the prawns. Add enough pistachio pesto to the saucepan in order to give it the desired consistency.
Once the pasta is cooked, pour it into the pesto sauté and complete the pasta by adjusting the amount of pistachio pesto. Turn off the heat and incorporate chopped prawns. Cook, stirring over low heat and serve warm.
