Tagliolini al Nero con...Tagliolini al Nero con Gambero Rosso e Ricci di Mare

Handcrafted squid ink tagliolini paired with sweet Mazara red prawn tartare, a velvety sea urchin emulsion, and finished with citrusy finger lime pearls and grated bottarga.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the pasta, mound the semolina on a wooden board, make a well in the center, and add the egg yolks and squid ink. Incorporate slowly with a fork, then knead by hand for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic film and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   Prepare the prawns: Dice 4 of the prawns into a fine tartare, toss gently with 10ml of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, then cover and refrigerate. Keep the remaining 4 prawns whole for plating.

3. 03

   In a small saucepan, sear the reserved prawn heads in 15ml of olive oil. Add the minced shallot and cook until translucent. Deglaze with the white wine, let it reduce by half, then add 100ml of water. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to extract the juices, strain through a fine-mesh chinois, and set the stock aside.

4. 04

   For the sea urchin emulsion, blend the sea urchin tongues with 25ml of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the warm prawn stock using an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Season lightly and keep at room temperature.

5. 05

   Roll the pasta dough through a pasta machine down to setting 7 (very thin). Cut into tagliolini (thin ribbons) and dust lightly with semolina.

6. 06

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the tagliolini for exactly 90 seconds.

7. 07

   Meanwhile, warm the remaining prawn stock and cold butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, shaking the pan to emulsify. Transfer the cooked pasta directly into the pan, tossing vigorously off the heat to coat the strands. Swirl in the sea urchin emulsion gently.

8. 08

   To plate, twirl the pasta into a tight nest in the center of two shallow bowls. Top with the cold red prawn tartare and the whole prawns. Spoon finger lime pearls over the top, grate fresh bottarga generously over the dish, and garnish with bronze fennel fronds.