Prosecco – degustare

Tagliolini with squid, bottarga and Prosecco DOC Rosé

Read time: 8 min.

A great classic not only on the Adriatic coast but all over seaside towns in Italy, although with local variations. Tagliolini (or spaghetti) con i calamari (squid) is the perfect seafood main course for a summer lunch, and a sprinkle of bottarga is just the kick that it really needs to make it bold and unforgettable.

Bottarga is often considered the ‘grated cheese’ of the sea. Cured bottarga is a prized Mediterranean delicacy made from the salted, cured egg sac (roe) of grey mullet or bluefin tuna. It is pressed to remove moisture and dried to achieve a dense, firm texture. Because of its intense flavour, a little goes a long way. Bottarga is never cooked, but rather used as a seasoning.

To garnish this plate of pasta, I added lemon zest and fresh herbs to bring freshness and zing, and they pair beautifully with the floral notes of Prosecco DOC Rosé.

Chef’s tips: Skip the pasta-making to cut recipe times if you don’t feel like it. Use good-quality pasta from the shop. If you want to omit the bottarga, I suggest using toasted pangrattato instead.

 

Difficulty:

Hard

Preparation time:

50 minutes

Pairing:

Prosecco DOC Rosé

Process:

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 50 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 400 g tagliolini
  • 400 g cleaned squid, cut into strips or small rings
  • 20 g grey mullet bottarga
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Fresh basil or thyme, to garnish
  • A splash of Prosecco DOC Rosé
  • 200 ml fish stock (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the pasta:

  • 3 whole eggs
  • 50 g parsley
  • 250 g 00 flour
  • 50 g durum wheat flour

 

METHOD:

Start with the pasta. Blanch the parsley in boiling water and cool it in iced water. Drain well and blitz it with the eggs. Now knead the green egg mixture with the flour. Incorporate gradually, then stretch and pull the dough to obtain a smooth and elastic pasta dough. Let the dough rest, wrapped in film, for 30 minutes before rolling it.

Use a rolling pin or a pasta machine to obtain a thin sheet of about 2 mm thickness. Cut it into thin tagliolini with the pasta cutter or with a sharp knife, as shown in the video. Dust with flour and set aside in the fridge.

Now for the dressing. Cut the garlic cloves in half and rub them onto the pan. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and fry until golden. Remove the garlic and quickly add the squid. Season with salt and pepper to taste and fry over high heat, stirring quickly, for 1 minute. Now deglaze with a splash of Prosecco DOC Rosé.

At this stage, I usually remove the squid from the pan to avoid overcooking it, then add the fish stock to the pan and let it reduce over medium heat. But this isn’t mandatory: the cooked pasta can be added directly to the squid along with a ladle of pasta water.

Cook the fresh pasta in salted boiling water for 1 minute, then toss it in the pan with the fish stock. Add the squid back in along with a good drizzle of olive oil. Turn off the heat and toss the pasta well to create an emulsion. Adjust the seasoning and add a little pasta water if it is drying out too much.

Plate straight away and top with a generous amount of grated bottarga. Garnish with fresh lemon zest and herbs before enjoying it with a cold glass of Prosecco DOC Rosé.

 

Recipe by Danilo Cortellini

 

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