Saffron Cavatelli with Sea...Saffron Cavatelli with Sea Urchin, Bottarga, and Wild Fennel Pollen

Delicate hand-rolled saffron-infused cavatelli tossed in a rich, emulsified sea urchin butter, finished with shaved Sardinian bottarga, wild fennel pollen, and finger lime.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Steep the saffron threads in 150ml of warm water for 10 minutes until the water is deeply golden and aromatic.

2. 02

   Mound the semolina flour on a clean marble or wooden work surface. Make a deep well in the center, add the fine sea salt, and pour in the warm saffron water. Gradually incorporate the flour from the inner walls of the well using a fork.

3. 03

   Knead the dough vigorously for 10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and uniform in color. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

4. 04

   Divide the rested dough into four portions. Roll each portion into a long rope, about 1cm thick. Cut the ropes into 1cm pieces. Using a gnocchi board or the back of a butter knife, drag each piece toward you with light pressure to create the hollow, textured cavatelli shape. Place on a tray dusted with semolina.

5. 05

   To prepare the sea urchin butter, gently blend 80g of the sea urchin tongues with 50g of the cold cultured butter until completely smooth and emulsified. Store in the refrigerator until needed. Reserve the remaining 40g of whole sea urchin lobes for plating.

6. 06

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat and gently infuse with the smashed garlic clove for 2 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic, then pour in the white wine and simmer until reduced by half.

7. 07

   Boil the saffron cavatelli for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they float to the surface and are cooked al dente. Reserve 1 cup (240ml) of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

8. 08

   Remove the skillet with the white wine reduction from the heat. Add the cooked cavatelli, the remaining 30g of cold cubed butter, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss vigorously off the heat to create a creamy, glossy emulsion.

9. 09

   Gently fold in the prepared sea urchin butter, allowing the residual heat of the pasta to melt it into a luxurious orange sauce. Add more pasta water if necessary to adjust the consistency. Do not place back on direct heat, as the sea urchin will curdle.

10. 10

    Divide the emulsified pasta among four warm bowls. Top each serving with the remaining whole sea urchin lobes, finely shaved Bottarga, finger lime pearls, a dusting of wild fennel pollen, and micro-chervil. Serve immediately.