Tagliolini al Nero di Seppia con Capesante Scottate, Burro al Limone e Bottarga di Muggine - Squid Ink Tagliolini with Seared Scallops, Lemon Butter and Mullet Bottarga

Tagliolini al Nero di Seppia con Capesante Scottate, Burro al Limone e Bottarga di Muggine - Squid Ink Tagliolini with Seared Scallops, Lemon Butter and Mullet Bottarga

Squid Ink Tagliolini with Seared Scallops, Lemon Butter and Mullet Bottarga

Story of the Dish

Serves: 4

Introduction

This dish combines three distinct expressions of the sea: squid ink, fresh sea scallops, and cured mullet bottarga.

The challenge is balance.

Squid ink contributes salinity, color, and a subtle marine depth. Scallops provide natural sweetness and a delicate texture. Bottarga brings concentration, umami, and a powerful saline finish. Fresh lemon introduces the acidity necessary to keep the dish clean and vibrant.

There is no heavy cream in this preparation.

The sauce is created directly in the pan using butter, pasta water, white wine, lemon, and the natural starch released by the tagliolini. The result should be glossy and emulsified, coating every strand without leaving an oily pool on the plate.

The scallops are cooked separately and added only during plating so their caramelized crust remains intact.

Recipe Information

Servings: 4. Prep Time: about 30 minutes. Cook Time: about 25 minutes. Total Time: about 55 minutes.

Ingredients

For the Fresh Squid Ink Tagliolini

2 cups Italian 00 flour, plus additional flour as needed

3 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon squid ink

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Semolina flour, for dusting

For the Scallops

12 large dry sea scallops, preferably U10

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Kosher salt, as needed

White pepper, as needed

For the Lemon Butter Emulsion

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 small shallot, extremely finely minced

½ cup dry white wine

¾ to 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For Finishing

1½ to 2 ounces high quality cured mullet bottarga

2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Fresh lemon zest, as needed

1 tablespoon excellent extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper, optional

Mise en Place

Prepare and rest the pasta dough.

Clean and thoroughly dry the scallops.

Finely mince the shallot.

Finely chop the parsley.

Grate approximately half of the bottarga and reserve the remaining piece for shaving directly over the finished dish.

Cut the butter into small pieces.

Keep the butter for the final emulsion refrigerated.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil shortly before rolling the pasta.

Have the scallop pan extremely hot before the tagliolini enter the water.

Timing is critical because fresh tagliolini cook very quickly.

Preparation

1. Prepare the Squid Ink Pasta Dough

Place the flour on a clean work surface.

Create a large well in the center.

In a bowl, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, squid ink, and olive oil.

Whisk until the squid ink is evenly dispersed.

Pour the mixture into the center of the flour.

Using a fork, gradually incorporate flour from the inside edge of the well.

Once the mixture becomes too thick for the fork, begin working it with your hands.

Knead for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

The finished dough should be smooth, elastic, and uniformly black.

If the dough feels excessively sticky, incorporate a very small amount of additional flour.

If it feels unusually dry, lightly wet your hands and continue kneading.

Do not aggressively correct the dough with large quantities of flour or water.

Small adjustments are sufficient.

2. Rest the Dough

Shape the dough into a smooth ball.

Wrap tightly.

Allow it to rest at room temperature for approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

This resting period allows the flour to hydrate completely and the gluten structure to relax.

A properly rested dough will roll significantly more easily and resist shrinking.

3. Roll the Tagliolini

Divide the dough into four portions.

Keep the portions not being rolled covered.

Flatten one piece slightly.

Pass it through the widest setting of the pasta machine.

Fold it and pass it through again.

Continue progressively reducing the thickness until the pasta is thin enough for delicate tagliolini.

The exact final setting depends on the machine, but the sheet should be thin without becoming fragile.

Allow the sheets to dry for approximately 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.

Cut into narrow tagliolini.

Dust extremely lightly with semolina.

Form loose nests and reserve.

Do not compress the nests.

4. Prepare the Scallops

Remove the lateral muscle from each scallop if still attached.

Dry the scallops thoroughly between layers of paper towels.

Place them uncovered in the refrigerator for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove shortly before cooking.

Dry them again if necessary.

Season lightly with kosher salt immediately before they enter the pan.

Remember that both squid ink and bottarga contribute salinity to the finished dish.

5. Begin the Lemon Butter Base

Place a wide sauté pan over medium heat.

Add 1 tablespoon butter.

Add the finely minced shallot.

Cook gently for approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

Do not brown the shallot.

Add the white wine.

Increase the heat slightly.

Reduce until approximately one third of the original volume remains.

Add approximately ½ cup pasta water.

Bring to a gentle simmer.

Keep the pan ready for the pasta.

6. Sear the Scallops

Heat a heavy stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium high to high heat.

Allow the skillet to become thoroughly hot.

Add the olive oil.

When the oil begins shimmering, place the scallops into the pan.

Leave generous space between them.

Do not move them.

Cook approximately 1½ to 2 minutes on the first side.

A natural golden brown crust should develop.

Turn once.

Add 1 tablespoon butter.

Tilt the skillet and baste the scallops with the foaming butter for approximately 30 to 45 seconds.

Remove immediately.

The exterior should be caramelized while the center remains moist and tender.

Keep warm for the very short period required to finish the pasta.

7. Cook the Tagliolini

Salt the boiling pasta water more moderately than usual.

The bottarga and squid ink will add additional salinity.

Drop the fresh tagliolini into the boiling water.

Fresh pasta cooks rapidly.

Depending on thickness, approximately 1½ to 2½ minutes may be sufficient.

Remove the tagliolini approximately 45 to 60 seconds before they reach the desired final texture.

Transfer them directly into the sauté pan containing the wine reduction.

Do not discard the pasta water.

8. Finish the Pasta in the Pan

Increase the heat to medium.

Using tongs, continuously move the tagliolini through the sauce.

Add reserved pasta water approximately 2 tablespoons at a time.

The final stage of cooking should occur directly in the sauté pan.

This allows the pasta to absorb flavor while releasing additional surface starch into the sauce.

Continue for approximately 45 to 60 seconds.

The liquid should begin becoming visibly more cohesive and glossy.

9. Create the Lemon Butter Emulsion

Remove the sauté pan completely from the heat.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons cold butter, approximately one tablespoon at a time.

Continuously toss and move the pasta.

Add small quantities of hot pasta water as necessary.

The butter, water, wine reduction, and pasta starch should form a stable emulsion.

Add the lemon juice and finely grated lemon zest.

Continue tossing.

The sauce should cling naturally to the tagliolini.

There should not be a puddle of separated butter at the bottom of the pan.

If the sauce becomes too tight, add a spoonful of pasta water.

If it looks watery, continue tossing briefly until the emulsion develops.

10. Incorporate the Bottarga

Remove the pan from the heat if it has returned to the burner.

Add approximately half of the finely grated bottarga.

Add most of the parsley.

Toss gently.

Taste before adding any salt.

In many cases, no additional salt will be necessary.

The bottarga should be clearly identifiable without dominating the entire preparation.

Reserve the remaining bottarga for finishing.

The Importance of Pasta Water

Pasta water is not simply hot salted water.

During cooking, starch migrates from the pasta into the surrounding liquid.

That starch helps stabilize the emulsion between water and butter.

This is particularly important in a sauce without cream.

Adding pasta water gradually allows precise control over consistency.

Too little liquid produces greasy pasta.

Too much creates a watery sauce.

The correct amount produces a thin, glossy coating around every strand.

The Bottarga Rule

Bottarga should not be aggressively cooked.

Extended high heat can flatten its aromatic complexity and emphasize salinity.

For this dish, grated bottarga is incorporated primarily off the heat.

Additional bottarga is shaved directly over the plate immediately before service.

Think of bottarga as both an ingredient and a finishing seasoning.

Michelin Style Plating

Use a large, warm white plate or shallow bowl.

Using long plating tweezers or a carving fork and spoon, create a controlled nest of squid ink tagliolini slightly off center.

Keep the nest elegant but relatively low.

Do not create an excessively tall tower of pasta.

Place three scallops per person around and partially against the tagliolini.

Keep every caramelized scallop surface visible.

Shave a restrained amount of bottarga directly over the pasta.

Add a small quantity of finely chopped parsley.

Finish with an extremely fine grating of fresh lemon zest.

Add several drops of excellent extra virgin olive oil around the composition.

The final visual contrast should be dramatic but natural: black tagliolini, ivory scallops, irregular golden caramelization, amber bottarga, and small touches of green parsley.

Do not cover the scallops with sauce or bottarga.

Restaurant Service Method

The pasta dough can be prepared several hours before service.

Roll and cut the tagliolini relatively close to service and portion them into loose individual nests.

Keep them lightly dusted with semolina.

The wine and shallot reduction can be prepared ahead but should not be completely finished with butter.

Portion three scallops per guest and keep them refrigerated on absorbent paper.

During service, begin searing the scallops shortly before the pasta enters the water.

Drop the tagliolini.

Transfer them early into the sauté pan.

Finish the pasta in the wine reduction.

Perform the butter mantecatura off the heat.

Add the bottarga last.

Plate immediately.

The entire dish should move from boiling water to the dining room within only a few minutes.

Chef Tips

Do not overwork the pasta dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, then allow adequate resting time.

Use squid ink carefully. More ink does not necessarily produce better flavor. Excessive quantities can make the pasta unnecessarily salty and aggressive.

Dry the scallops thoroughly. Proper caramelization requires a dry surface.

Use natural pan caramelization. The scallops should not have artificial looking grill lines.

Remove the pasta early. The final cooking must happen in the sauté pan.

Add pasta water gradually. You can always add more, but removing excess liquid is more difficult.

Mount the butter off the heat. Excessive heat increases the possibility of the emulsion separating.

Control the lemon. The dish should taste fresh, not sour.

Control the bottarga. Its purpose is to intensify the marine character of the dish, not bury the sweetness of the scallops.

Serve immediately. A butter and pasta water emulsion is at its best the moment it is completed.

Wine Pairing

Vermentino di Gallura DOCG

A high quality Vermentino di Gallura is an excellent pairing.

Its acidity, Mediterranean salinity, and mineral character work naturally with squid ink, scallops, lemon, and mullet bottarga.

Choose a structured Vermentino rather than an excessively aromatic example.

Etna Bianco DOC

Carricante provides mineral tension and acidity capable of handling both the bottarga and butter while respecting the sweetness of the scallops.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore

Verdicchio offers excellent acidity and a subtle savory character that complements the marine intensity of the dish.

Chef Gianluca