Rigatoni with Bottarga and White Asparagus
Serves: 2 as main course or 4 as a starter
FlexiPoints: 6 or 3
Suggested wine: A nice white with a light body, good minerality and acidity
Special equipment: none
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 40'
Ingredients:
250g rigatoni pasta
4 tbsp olive oil
8 large white asparagus
30g Bottarga di Muggine (from Sardinia)
1 dried small hot chili
Salt as needed
Ingredient replacement:
Bottarga di Muggine -> Any bottarga, even if be careful with the dosing as some are stringer than others in their saltiness. Otherwise dried anchovies
Ingredient note: The bottarga is basically a dried fish egg bag. It is typically a produce from Sardinia and Sicily with the difference of the adopted fish: Muggine (Gray Mullet) in the former and Tonno (Tuna) in the latter. I prefer the sardinian version as less salty, kind of chewy and amazingly fishy taste ... the latter is drier, saltier and much stringer in taste.
How-to:
1. Remove the stalks from the asparagus, peel them and boil them standing straight with the tips out of the water and the lid on till tender (15’-20’ from cold water). Break the chili in the oil and let it marinate.
2. Drain the asparagus, halve them and chop them in medium pieces. Finely chop the bottarga (or grated if you prefer) and work it with 6 tbsp of the cooking water of the asparagus until a yellowing light cream is obtained.
3. Boil the pasta in salted water for a couple of minutes less than required. Stir fry it in the oil and the chopped asparagus for 2’. Remove from the heat and stir in the bottarga cream till uniformly distributed. Serve immediately.
FlexiPoints: 6 or 3
Suggested wine: A nice white with a light body, good minerality and acidity
Special equipment: none
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 40'
Ingredients:
250g rigatoni pasta
4 tbsp olive oil
8 large white asparagus
30g Bottarga di Muggine (from Sardinia)
1 dried small hot chili
Salt as needed
Ingredient replacement:
Bottarga di Muggine -> Any bottarga, even if be careful with the dosing as some are stringer than others in their saltiness. Otherwise dried anchovies
Ingredient note: The bottarga is basically a dried fish egg bag. It is typically a produce from Sardinia and Sicily with the difference of the adopted fish: Muggine (Gray Mullet) in the former and Tonno (Tuna) in the latter. I prefer the sardinian version as less salty, kind of chewy and amazingly fishy taste ... the latter is drier, saltier and much stringer in taste.
How-to:
1. Remove the stalks from the asparagus, peel them and boil them standing straight with the tips out of the water and the lid on till tender (15’-20’ from cold water). Break the chili in the oil and let it marinate.
2. Drain the asparagus, halve them and chop them in medium pieces. Finely chop the bottarga (or grated if you prefer) and work it with 6 tbsp of the cooking water of the asparagus until a yellowing light cream is obtained.
3. Boil the pasta in salted water for a couple of minutes less than required. Stir fry it in the oil and the chopped asparagus for 2’. Remove from the heat and stir in the bottarga cream till uniformly distributed. Serve immediately.