Fusilli with dried tomatoes

Dried tomatoes are a Sicilian invention. They found the way to preserve the tomatoes for the winter months when there was food shortage. So when you visit this sunny island you make sure to bring some home with you. As we did. And pine nuts, too.

Today I made up this recipe (for three). I just went with what I had at hand having in mind what I saw in Sicilia. It is very quick and easy. You can almost literally prepare the sauce while the pasta cooks. Not really liquid as a sauce, but I couldn't think of another word to describe this. Help me if you can, please, to improve my English! Thanks!

One small onion, a clove of garlic, a hand full of pine nuts, some parsley and celery

One chicken breast cut into strips

12 pieces of dried tomatoes

To soften the tomatoes you have to cook them in boiling water for 3 min

Above you can see: left - diced goat cheese (in Sicilia they would probably use sheep cheese or ricotta), center - drained and chopped tomatoes, right - chopped celery, parsley, garlic and pine nuts

Stew the onion and lightly salted meat. Add salt sparingly because the tomatoes and cheese are already salty. When done add all the other ingredients. I also added pepper and a pinch of curcuma. If the sauce is too dry add more olive oil.

Cook the fusilli (or any other pasta you prefer)
Add the sauce

Buon appetito!

Very tasty and unusual. Great with a sip of good white wine. :-)

And, can you think of a nice name for this recipe? I just didn't want to call it "Fusilli alla Siciliana"...