Spaghetti Alla Chitarra With Mullet Bottarga Recipes

LINGUINE ALLA CHITARRA WITH CLAMS, GUANCIALE AND PEA TENDRILS

Steps:

• For the pasta: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, semolina and salt and pile up in the center of the bowl. Create a shallow well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg. Beat the egg and oil together with a fork. Using a plastic spatula, stir the egg and slowly incorporate into the flour. Mix until the dough ball forms, then remove from the bowl and place the dough on a clean work surface.
• Knead the dough into a smooth dough ball, about 10 minutes. Immediately wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap to avoid drying out. Rest the dough at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using.
• Cut the pasta to linguine size using a chitarra or other pasta machine.
• For the sauce: In a medium saucepot, add the olive oil and guanciale and cook over medium heat to render the fat from the guanciale until it starts to turn light brown.
• Add the garlic, oregano, crushed pepper and basil, and mix; cook until the garlic is fully cooked through and the herbs are infused in the oil. Add the clams, stock and wine, and increase to high heat; cover with a lid to steam open the clams, 3 to 4 minutes. As soon as the clams open, remove from the heat to avoid overcooking; remove all of the clams from the pot and reserve the sauce. Remove half of the clams from their shells and add to the sauce.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente, about 3 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat to allow the pasta to soak up some of the sauce, then add the lemon juice and pea tendrils. Toss, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as necessary.
• To plate, twist the pasta and place in the center of the plate, then top with the remaining sauce. Place the clams in the shells on top and garnish with a few fresh opal basil leaves, some herb flowers, a drizzle of Ligurian olive oil and Calabrian chile oil and shavings from the mullet bottarga.

BOTTARGA PASTA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil and the butter in a skillet over medium heat until butter foams. Add breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta, and cook until al dente.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Squeeze pulp from skins of roasted garlic into skillet, and add sliced garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer pasta directly from boiling water to skillet. Toss to coat. Add 2 tablespoons grated bottarga, the parsley, and half the breadcrumbs, and toss. Transfer to a platter. Season with salt.
• Sprinkle pasta with remaining breadcrumbs. Grate a generous amount of bottarga on top. Serve.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CHITARRA WITH MULLET BOTTARGA

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. In a cold 12 to 14-inch saute pan, combine the olive oil, chile, and garlic and slowly sweat over medium heat until the garlic is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomato, parsley, tomato sauce and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and bring to a simmer. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, until tender yet al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and add it to the tomato mixture. Toss over high heat for 1 minute. Divide the pasta evenly among 4 heated bowls. Grate the mullet bottarga over each bowl like a dusting of cheese, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and serve immediately with a sprinkling of chili flakes and a drizzle of olive oil. www.bottargaclub.com

SPAGHETTI ALLA CHITARRA

Steps:

• Roll the dough out to the third thickest setting on the pasta sheeter (number 5 using a KitchenAid attachment) according to the directions given in "Matt's Scuola di Pasta" (page 158). Dust a baking sheet lightly with semolina and dust a work surface with flour. Lay one sheet of the dough on top of a chitarra and use a rolling pin to roll the length of the pasta, pressing it into the strings to form thin strips. (Alternatively, to cut the strands by hand, roll the dough out to the thinnest setting on a pasta machine-8 on a KitchenAid mixer-and place the sheets on the baking sheet, dusting lightly with semolina between each sheet. When you've rolled all of the pasta dough, trim the edges of one sheet to make a rectangle with straight edges. Using the first sheet as a template, cut the remaining sheets so you have a stack of rectangular pasta sheets. Cut the rectangles crosswise into 1/16-inch-wide strips that are as long as the sheet is wide.) Use the spaghetti or cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pasta up to one day. To freeze, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the pasta is firm to the touch. Transfer the pasta to sealable plastic bags, or an airtight container, dusting off the excess semolina, and freeze for up to two weeks (any longer and the pasta will dry out and crack).

SPAGHETTI ALLA CHITARRA CON POMODORO

Steps:

• Set the rollers of a hand-crank or electric pasta machine at their widest opening. Unwrap dough; flatten with the palms of your hands and run it once through the machine. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter and run through the machine again. Repeat this step two or three times, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Change the rollers of the pasta machine to the next decreasing setting, and roll out the dough once without folding. Keep rolling the sheet through the machine on decreasing settings until it is about 1/8-inch thick.
• Place a chitarra on work surface and lay pasta sheet over chittara. Using a rolling pin, press down on pasta sheets to cut into strands; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted. Add cured tomatoes and cook until they break down slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Drain pasta and add it to saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until well combined, about 1 minute. Add half of the cheese; stir to combine. Add orange zest and chile, stir, and remove from heat.
• Divide evenly among four individual plates. Serve immediately sprinkled with remaining cheese and garnished with marjoram leaves.

SPAGHETTI AGLIO, OLIO, E PEPERONCINO CON BOTTARGA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat.
• Add garlic to the oil and cook until just warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chile pepper and stir together, reducing the temperature to medium-low. Continue stirring. The garlic should never become dark brown or crispy. If this has happened, the garlic is burnt and no longer appropriate for consumption.
• Drain the pasta, reserving at least 1 cup pasta water. Add the spaghetti to the oil mixture, still on medium-low heat. Stir or toss until all the spaghetti is well coated. Add 3/4 of the bottarga and stir to mix with the spaghetti, adding the reserved pasta water to hydrate as needed. There should be a little "sauce" when serving but not soupy.
• Divide onto 4 plates and sprinkle with chopped parsley and lemon zest; squeeze lemon juice over and sprinkle remaining bottarga on top right before serving.