Nero di Seppia Tagliolini...Nero di Seppia Tagliolini with Sea Urchin Emulsion and Bottarga

A refined coastal Italian masterpiece featuring hand-crafted squid ink pasta, a velvety sea urchin crema, and the saline complexity of shaved Sardinian bottarga.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   On a clean work surface, create a well with the flour. Whisk the egg yolks and squid ink together, then pour into the well. Slowly incorporate the flour until a dough forms. Knead for 10 minutes until elastic and smooth. Wrap in film and rest for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   In a small skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add sourdough crumbs and lemon zest. Toast until golden brown and crisp. Set aside on a paper towel.

3. 03

   Roll the pasta dough through a machine to the thinnest setting. Hand-cut into delicate tagliolini ribbons. Toss with a dusting of flour and cover with a damp cloth.

4. 04

   In a blender, pulse 60g of the sea urchin with 2 tbsp of warm pasta water and 1 tbsp of olive oil until a smooth, vibrant emulsion forms. Reserve the remaining uni for plating.

5. 05

   Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. In a large wide sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil with the smashed garlic and chili paste over low heat to infuse for 3 minutes. Discard the garlic.

6. 06

   Boil the tagliolini for exactly 90 seconds. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and transfer the pasta directly to the sauté pan.

7. 07

   Remove the pan from heat. Add the sea urchin emulsion and a splash of pasta water. Toss vigorously (mantecatura) to create a glossy sauce that coats every strand.

8. 08

   Twirl the pasta into tight nests in warmed shallow bowls. Top with the remaining fresh uni pieces, a generous shaving of bottarga, the lemon pangrattato, and micro-chives.