Bottoni di Bufala con...Bottoni di Bufala con Consommé di Pomodoro Chiaro e Olio al Basilico

Delicate, hand-pinched golden egg pasta buttons filled with smoked buffalo ricotta and 30-month Parmigiano Reggiano, served in a crystal-clear clarified San Marzano tomato consommé with droplets of chlorophyll basil oil and crispy Pantelleria capers.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the tomato water: Blend the chopped San Marzano tomatoes, shallot, 10g basil, a pinch of sea salt, and the colatura di alici until coarsely puréed. Transfer to a fine cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a deep bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours to extract a crystalline, clear tomato water.

2. 02

   Make the basil oil: Blanch 50g basil leaves in boiling salted water for 5 seconds, immediately shock in ice water, squeeze completely dry, and blend with 120ml extra virgin olive oil at high speed for 2 minutes. Strain through a coffee filter overnight to yield an emerald-green aromatic oil.

3. 03

   Make the pasta dough: Mound the Tipo 00 flour on a marble board, create a well, and add egg yolks and the whole egg. Gradually incorporate the flour until a dough forms. Knead for 10 minutes until silky and elastic. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

4. 04

   Make the filling: Sieve the drained buffalo ricotta through a drum sieve for an ultra-fine texture. Fold in grated Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon zest, a micro-pinch of nutmeg, and salt. Transfer the smooth mixture into a pastry piping bag.

5. 05

   Form the bottoni: Roll pasta dough through a pasta machine down to the thinnest setting (0.8mm). Pipe small hazelnut-sized mounds of filling 3cm apart along one sheet. Drape a second sheet over, pressing gently around each filling to eliminate trapped air. Cut with a 3cm fluted or round cutter to yield perfect pasta buttons.

6. 06

   Fry the capers: Flash-fry the dried capers in olive oil at 180°C for 20 seconds until crisp and bloomed. Drain on paper towels.

7. 07

   Finish and serve: Gently warm the clear tomato consommé to 70°C, seasoning to balance its natural acidity and umami. Cook the bottoni in heavily salted simmering water for 90 seconds until al dente. Divide the bottoni into shallow warm bowls, pour the hot tomato consommé tableside around them, finish with suspended pearls of vibrant basil oil, and garnish with crispy capers and micro basil leaves.