Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta Dough
- 200 g flour
- 1 egg, whole
- 6 egg, yolks only
- 50 g fine semolina flour
Sauce and Assembly
- 2 zucchini, finely sliced
- 30 ml olive oil
- 8 datterini tomatoes, peeled
- 1 garlic, finely chopped
- 200 g squid, cleaned, scored, and sliced
- 1 g parsley, chopped
- ½ g dried chili
- salt
- black pepper
- 20 g bottarga, shaved
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 839 kcal
- Protein
- 43 g
- Carbohydrates
- 106 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 920 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 512 mg
- Potassium
- 1088 mg
- Calcium
- 137 mg
- Iron
- 8.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 115 mg
- Phosphorus
- 627 mg
- Zinc
- 4.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 246 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 34 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 30 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.93 mg
- Riboflavin
- 1.29 mg
- Niacin
- 9.3 mg
- Folate
- 275 mcg
- Water
- 349 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the flour, whole egg, and egg yolks into a food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together into a dough.
Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Divide the rested dough in half. Pass one piece through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and decreasing the thickness incrementally until the thinnest setting is reached.
Attach the tagliatelle cutter to the machine and run the pasta sheets through to create long strips.
Dust the cut tagliatelle with semolina flour to prevent sticking and set aside on a plate.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (100°C/212°F). Add the fresh pasta and sliced zucchini, cooking for 2 minutes.
In a frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the tomatoes, garlic, squid, and parsley, sautéing gently for 2 minutes.
Drain the pasta and zucchini, then transfer them directly into the frying pan with the squid mixture. Stir gently to coat.
Season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately topped with shaved bottarga.
Chef's Notes
- For the best pasta dough texture, ensure your eggs are at room temperature. The combination of whole egg and yolks creates a rich, pliable dough perfect for tagliatelle.
- When scoring the squid, make shallow cuts in a crosshatch pattern. This helps tenderize the squid and allows it to cook quickly and evenly, preventing it from becoming rubbery.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when sautéing the squid. Cook in batches if necessary to ensure it sears rather than steams, developing a better flavor and texture.
- Reserve a small amount of the pasta cooking water before draining. A tablespoon or two can be added to the pan at the end to help emulsify the sauce and coat the pasta beautifully.
- The quality of bottarga is crucial here. Use freshly shaved bottarga for the most intense, briny flavor that perfectly complements the seafood.
Storage
Refrigerator: 24 hours — Store in an airtight container; the pasta texture is best when fresh.
Reheating: Warm gently in a pan over low heat with a tablespoon of water to loosen the sauce.
Troubleshooting
Squid is tough or rubbery
Cause: Overcooking the seafood.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once overcooked.
Prevention: Ensure the squid is only in the hot pan for 2-3 minutes total.
Pasta sticks together in a clump
Cause: Insufficient semolina dusting or water not at a full boil.
Fix: Gently separate with tongs while in the boiling water.
Prevention: Dust pasta liberally with semolina after cutting and ensure water is at a rolling boil before adding pasta.
Cultural Context
This dish is a refined take on a classic Italian seafood pasta, showcasing the bounty of the Mediterranean. While pasta with seafood is ubiquitous in coastal Italy, the use of fresh, handmade tagliatelle and the delicate preparation of squid, often found in regions like Sicily or Campania, highlight a tradition of simple yet elegant preparations that let quality ingredients shine.
