Babbalucci (Sicilian Snails With Tomato and Herbs)
Course: Dinner, Main DishCuisine: SicilianDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings
4
servingsCooking time
1
hourTotal time
1
hourIngredients
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil, Plus More For Drizzling
3 Garlic Cloves, Finely Chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
1 cup Dry Red Wine
One 14-oz. can peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 dozen in-shell snails
⅓ cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped, plus whole leaves, for garnish
⅓ cup parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Warm crusty bread, for serving
Directions
- To a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the oil, garlic, and onion and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the oregano and chile flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, 5–6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and ¾ cup of water and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally and crushing any large tomato pieces with the spoon, until the sauce is thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Add the snails and bring back to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the basil and parsley. Continue to simmer, adding water if needed, until the sauce is thickened and jammy, about 10 minutes more. Taste and season with salt and black pepper if needed.
- Spoon the snails and sauce into a large serving dish and top with whole basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with crusty bread.
