Barely softened zucchini tagliatelle, a whipped ricotta bound with egg yolks and pecorino, crispy guanciale, and an onion, tomato, garlic, anchovy, caper, olive and cayenne relish to honor the intended flavor profile.
Ingredients
- 500 g medium firm zucchini
- 1 piece yellow onion
- 90 g slab Italian guanciale
- 120 g fresh ricotta
- 2 pieces very fresh egg yolks
- 45 g grated pecorino romano
- 160 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 3 pieces anchovy fillets packed in oil
- 1 tbsp capers in vinegar
- 35 g pitted black olives
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste black peppercorns
- to taste fine salt
- 0.25 bunches fresh chives
Method
- Slice the zucchini into long tagliatelle strips using a wide peeler or a mandoline. Salt them very lightly, place them in a colander and let them release some of their water while you prepare the rest.
- Thinly slice the onion. Sweat it in olive oil with a pinch of salt until tender and slightly golden.
- Add the grated garlic, anchovies, smoked paprika and cayenne. Mash the anchovies in the heat until they melt into the onion.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, capers and chopped olives. Cook until you have a thick, glossy and highly fragrant relish, with no excess liquid.
- Cut the guanciale into short strips. Start it in a cold skillet, then let it render its fat and crisp up. Drain the crispy guanciale on a paper towel and reserve the rendered fat in the skillet.
- Whip the ricotta with the egg yolks, pecorino and plenty of freshly ground black pepper until you get a smooth, dense and glossy cream.
- Pat the zucchini tagliatelle dry. Toss them quickly in the skillet with the guanciale fat, just to soften them without cooking them all the way through.
- Off the heat, fold the whipped ricotta into the zucchini, stirring constantly. The residual heat should bind the sauce without coagulating the egg yolks.
- Add the onion and tomato relish in dollops, marbling it through rather than drowning the zucchini. Adjust the salt only after tasting, since the guanciale, anchovies, capers and pecorino are already salty.
- Plate in nests on warm plates. Finish with the crispy guanciale, a dusting of pecorino, plenty of black pepper and chopped chives.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 769.1 kcal
- Protein
- 35.39 g
- Carbohydrate
- 20.13 g
- Fat
- 60.86 g
- Fibre
- 8.35 g
- Calcium
- 33.55 mg
- Iron
- 2.01 mg
- Magnesium
- 18.92 mg
