Basil-Infused Garganelli with Langoustines...Basil-Infused Garganelli with Langoustines and Saffron-Shellfish Brodetto

An elegant Michelin-star caliber dish featuring hand-rolled vibrant green garganelli, sweet pan-seared langoustines, and a velvety, emulsified saffron-shellfish reduction.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Blanch the fresh basil leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds, shock immediately in ice water, squeeze out all excess moisture, and puree smoothly with the egg yolks and whole egg.

2. 02

   Mound the Type 00 flour on a clean work surface, create a well in the center, and pour in the green egg puree. Gradually incorporate the flour to form a cohesive dough. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic film and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. 03

   Roll the pasta dough through a pasta machine to 1mm thickness. Cut into 5cm squares. Wrap each square diagonally around a garganelli pin and roll across a ridged gnocchi board to form ridged tubes. Dust with semolina and set aside on a tray.

4. 04

   In a saucepan, heat 15ml of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the reserved langoustine heads and shells until deeply caramelized. Add minced shallots, garlic, and diced fennel, sweating them until translucent. Deglaze with the white wine and reduce by half.

5. 05

   Add 300ml of water and the saffron threads to the saucepan. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh chinois, pressing to extract all juices. Return the golden broth to a clean pan.

6. 06

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the hand-rolled garganelli for 2 to 3 minutes until perfectly al dente.

7. 07

   While the pasta cooks, bring the saffron-shellfish broth to a simmer. Whisk in the cold, cubed butter one piece at a time to mount the sauce into a glossy, velvety emulsion. Season with Meyer lemon juice and salt to taste.

8. 08

   In a separate hot pan with the remaining olive oil, sear the langoustine tails for 45 seconds on each side until just cooked but still translucent and sweet in the center.

9. 09

   Drain the garganelli and toss directly into the emulsified saffron brodetto. Divide the pasta among four warm shallow bowls, top each with three seared langoustines, spoon over the remaining sauce, and garnish beautifully with micro-basil and bronze fennel fronds.