Saffron Tagliolini with Butter-Poached...Saffron Tagliolini with Butter-Poached Lobster and Bottarga

An exquisite, Michelin-caliber pairing of hand-rolled saffron pasta, succulent butter-poached lobster, and the rich, umami depth of shaved Sardinian bottarga, balanced with bright Meyer lemon.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the saffron pasta, steep the saffron threads in 1 tablespoon of warm water for 5 minutes. Mound the Tipo 00 flour on a clean marble work surface and create a wide well in the center. Pour the egg yolks and the steeped saffron liquid into the well. Using a fork, gently whisk the wet ingredients, gradually incorporating the flour from the inner walls of the well until a dough starts to form.

2. 02

   Knead the dough vigorously for 10 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and velvety. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

3. 03

   For the lobster, melt 150g of the butter in a small, deep saucepan over very low heat. Bring the butter to a gentle hover of 60°C (140°F). Submerge the lobster tails completely and poach gently for 6-8 minutes until the flesh is just opaque and tender. Remove from the butter, slice into delicate medallions, and set aside, keeping warm in a splash of the warm poaching butter.

4. 04

   Divide the pasta dough into four portions. Roll each portion through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and progressively going down to the thinnest setting. Cut the sheets into fine tagliolini strands (approx. 1.5mm wide). Toss lightly with a dusting of flour, form into nests, and set aside on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. 05

   In a wide, high-sided skillet, melt the remaining 50g of butter. Add the minced shallot and sweat over low heat until completely translucent and sweet, about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce by half. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the lobster-poaching butter and a squeeze of Meyer lemon juice to create an emulsified, glossy sauce base.

6. 06

   Cook the fresh tagliolini in a large pot of boiling, heavily salted water for exactly 90 seconds. Reserve 120ml of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta.

7. 07

   Immediately transfer the pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss vigorously over medium-low heat, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water to emulsify the sauce into a light, creamy glaze that clings to each strand. Gently fold in the Meyer lemon zest and half of the poached lobster medallions to warm through.

8. 08

   Using kitchen tweezers, twirl the pasta into tight nests and place in the center of four warm shallow bowls. Top each nest with the remaining lobster medallions. Microplane a generous dusting of cured bottarga over each dish, finish with snipped chives, a touch of Fleur de sel, and serve immediately.