Squid Ink Tagliolini with...Squid Ink Tagliolini with Sicilian Red Prawns and Pistachio di Bronte Pesto

An elegant coastal Italian masterpiece pairing handmade squid ink pasta with sweet, gently warmed red prawns, a vibrant Sicilian pistachio pesto, and the savory depth of grated bottarga.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the pasta, mound the Tipo 00 flour on a clean work surface and create a deep well in the center. Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and squid ink together, then pour into the well. Slowly incorporate the flour from the inner walls until a shaggy dough forms. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   Prepare the pistachio pesto: In a mortar and pestle, crush the pistachios with a pinch of sea salt, the blanched garlic, and the shocked basil leaves. Slowly drizzle in 60ml of extra virgin olive oil while grinding until a creamy, bright green emulsion is formed. Set aside.

3. 03

   Cut the rested pasta dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece through a pasta machine down to the second-thinnest setting. Cut the sheets into thin tagliolini strands (about 2mm wide) using the cutter attachment. Dust with flour and form into nests.

4. 04

   Dice the red prawns into 1cm pieces. Toss them gently in a small bowl with a splash of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and half of the lemon zest. Keep cold until ready to plate.

5. 05

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of pasta water over low heat to create a light emulsion.

6. 06

   Boil the squid ink tagliolini for exactly 90 seconds. Transfer the pasta directly into the pan with the butter emulsion, tossing gently on low heat to coat. Remove from heat and fold in the pistachio pesto, ensuring the pan is not too hot to prevent the pesto from splitting.

7. 07

   To plate, twirl a neat nest of the coated tagliolini into the center of four warmed shallow bowls. Top each nest with a portion of the seasoned raw red prawns (the heat of the pasta will gently warm them). Garnish with the remaining lemon zest, shave generous amounts of Bottarga di Muggine over the top, and finish with a thread of extra virgin olive oil.