Pasta alla cucunciata

Name: Pasta alla cucunciata
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Spaghetti 11.3 oz; Cherry tomatoes 2 cups; Eggplant 10.5 oz; Green peppers 1 &frac13; cup; Caper berries (caper berries in salt) 1.8 oz; Anchovies in oil 1.5 oz; Black olives 1.5 oz; Basil 5 leaves; Garlic 1 clove; Pecorino cheese to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

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Lactose Free

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Pasta alla cucunciata—honestly, it’s like bringing a bit of the Aeolian Islands right to your table. In Sicily, this dish is a classic summer fave. Sweet tomatoes, tender eggplants, and bright peppers, you know? What’s really special is the cucunci—those are caperberries, not the regular capers you find in other Sicilian pasta recipes. They’re bigger, giving you a mild, sorta crisp bite that’s super super unique. Locals in the Eolie? They love these ingredients, really. The combo of Mediterranean veggies with the juicy caperberries just shouts summer. It’s seriously good.

Everything tastes so fresh and simple, bursting with flavor since it’s used right at its peak. So, in Sicily, families often gather to enjoy caperberry pasta on warm evenings. Some might go heavy on the eggplant, others on the peppers—pretty much anything goes. But it always holds onto those golden, sun-soaked flavors. This dish, compared to other traditional Sicilian dishes, has a chill, rustic vibe—just fits with island life. No fuss, just good food. And the sauce? Awesome.

The veggies are soft, moist tomatoes, and salty caperberries make sure each bite is packed with the essence of Aeolian Islands cuisine. Whether you’re having it at a local trattoria or at home, this dish takes you right to the Mediterranean—soaking up the sunshine, enjoying the land’s bounty. I mean, it’s a meal that shows how Italian pasta recipes can transform simple ingredients into something vividly memorable. Seriously, it captures the spirit of Sicily in every bite. It's not just food; it is a slice of Sicilian life, giving you a taste of the region's authentic and bright culinary traditions. For real.

How to prepare Pasta alla cucunciata

To prepare cucunciata pasta, start with the bell pepper: grill it on a grill plate or in the oven at 450°F for about 20 minutes 1. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half 2, wash and cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes 3.

Pour a drizzle of oil into a non-stick pan and brown a clove of garlic over low heat 4. Sauté the eggplant in the pan with the garlic 5. When the eggplant is well browned, add the cherry tomatoes 6.

Cook over medium heat until they are well cooked 7. Meanwhile, in a tall, narrow glass, pour the desalted cucunci 8 and anchovies 9.

Also add 1.4 oz of oil 10, a pinch of salt and pepper 11, and blend with an immersion mixer 12.

You should obtain a creamy consistency 13. Meanwhile, the bell pepper will be ready 14, let it cool for a few minutes and peel it, then cut it into 1- to 1.5-inch pieces, removing the seeds 15.

Pour it into the pan with the eggplant and tomato sauce 16. Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water for the time indicated on the package 17. Remove the garlic clove from the sauce 18.

Drain the pasta directly into the pan with the sauce 19, add enough cooking water 20 and the black olives 21.

Finally, add the anchovy and cucunci mixture 22. Fragrantly add fresh basil 23 and season with Pecorino cheese to taste, mix well and plate. Your cucunciata pasta is ready to be served 34.