Every summer, the coastal town of Chioggia is home to the sagra del pesce, a festival that celebrates the region’s maritime heritage and long-established fishing tradition. Along the bustling main streets, stalls vie for your attention, offering an array of fresh seafood from baccala to pesciolini fritti. Among the kaleidoscopic variety of dishes on offer, spaghetti alla busara stands out for its rustic simplicity. The sauce itself is a blend of homegrown Venetian tastes: think vine-ripened tomatoes, freshly caught scampi, parsley, garlic, a healthy glug of white wine and a hint of chilli, brought together by a good amount of olive oil. Basic in nature, sublime in taste.
How to make Spaghetti alla Busara
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Calories per serving: 735 kcal
Ingredients
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100ml olive oil, plus extra to serve
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1 large onion, finely chopped
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5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
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1 tbsp tomato paste
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600g of ripe cherry or plum tomatoes, roughly chopped (on the vine, if possible)
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a pinch of chilli flakes
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250ml white wine
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25-30 large whole raw prawns
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a handful of chopped parsley
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a pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper
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400g spaghetti
Method
- Pour ⅔ of the olive oil into a saucepan and let warm over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic.
- As they begin to sizzle, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, chilli flakes, saffron and sprinkle of salt to taste. Cook for about 4 minutes, ensuring to continually stir to prevent the onion and garlic from burning. Add the white wine and cook for another minute.
- Add 100ml of water to the pan, bring to a boil and then add a generous sprinkling of salt. Stir to ensure everything is well mixed and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour the final ⅓ of olive oil in another frying pan and set over a high heat. When the pan is searingly hot, fry the prawns for a minute and then remove from the heat.
- Remove the lid from the saucepan and add the prawns to the wine and tomato mixture. Combine well and season with salt and fresh black pepper to taste.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Once bubbling, add a generous sprinkling of salt. Cook the spaghetti just until al dente.
- Reserve a ladle full of pasta water before draining the spaghetti. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the tomato sauce. Stir until the spaghetti has absorbed most of the liquid and is evenly coated. Sprinkle with parsley to finish.
- Devour and enjoy. Buon appetito!
How to serve Spaghetti alla Busara
The sauce, infused with the essence of the sea, can lose its vibrancy if left to sit. Enjoy the pasta while the flavours are at their peak. A generous sprinkle of chopped parsley adds a vibrant green and a burst of fresh, herbaceous flavour that complements the seafood. A basket of crusty bread like ciabatta is essential for mopping up every last drop of the flavourful sauce.
Spaghetti alla Busara wine pairing recommendation
Soave, a crisp and refreshing white wine from Veneto, is an excellent pairing for Spaghetti alla Busara. Its bright acidity cuts through the richness of the tomato sauce, while its minerality of Soave adds a crispness that complements the briny notes of the seafood.
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