Saffron Tagliolini with Red...Saffron Tagliolini with Red Prawns and Bronte Pistachio

An elegant, Michelin-caliber coastal Italian dish featuring handmade saffron-infused pasta, delicate raw and seared Mazara red prawns, and a rich pistacchio di Bronte pesto finish.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Steep the saffron threads in 1 tablespoon of warm water for 10 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 saffron liquid into the well.

2. 02

   Using a fork, gently whisk the yolks and saffron, gradually incorporating flour from the inner walls of the well. Once a shaggy dough forms, knead vigorously by hand for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. 03

   Gently peel and devein the prawns. Reserve 8 of the heads for the sauce. Dice half of the raw prawn meat into 1cm pieces, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and half the lemon zest; set in the fridge as crudo. Keep the remaining whole prawn tails chilled.

4. 04

   Roll the pasta dough through a pasta machine to paper-thin thickness (typically the second-to-last setting). Cut the sheets into delicate tagliolini strands (about 2mm wide). Toss with a dust of semolina and form into four neat nests.

5. 05

   In a wide skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the reserved prawn heads. Sear the heads, pressing down firmly on them with a wooden spoon to extract the rich, flavorful tomalley. Pour in the white wine, let it reduce by half, then strain this aromatic oil through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids.

6. 06

   Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Drop the tagliolini and cook for exactly 90 seconds. Reserve 120ml of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

7. 07

   Return the strained prawn-head oil to the skillet over low heat. Add the whole prawn tails, cooking them for just 30 seconds on each side. Transfer the prawns to a plate. Add the pasta and half of the reserved pasta water to the skillet, tossing vigorously to emulsify the starches with the oil into a glossy sauce.

8. 08

   Twirl the tagliolini into high, tight nests in the center of four warmed shallow bowls. Drape the lightly seared whole prawns over the pasta, then spoon the chilled marinated prawn crudo around the base. Garnish generously with the chopped pistachios, grated bottarga, remaining lemon zest, and micro basil leaves. Serve immediately.