ItalianRoman
Linguine with Puntarelle
by Cucina con Ruben · 548K subscribers on YouTube
A fresh and flavorful Roman pasta dish featuring puntarelle (chicory sprouts) in a double preparation: cooked puntarelle softened in a soffritto and crispy raw puntarelle marinated in a tangy anchovy and lemon emulsion. The pasta is risottata to create a creamy, clinging sauce.
- Difficulty
- medium
Ingredients
12 items- LinguineUse a good quality commercial pasta for better risottatura; avoid overly artisanal pasta which may release too much starch.
- PuntarellePuntarelle are the inner shoots of Catalogna chicory. Can be bought already cleaned.
- Garlic3-4 cloves for the soffritto, plus 1 clove for the raw marinade.
- Anchovies in Oil2-3 fillets for the soffritto, 1-2 fillets for the raw marinade.
- 1 pcsChili Pepper(optional) — One small dried chili pepper, or to taste.
- Extra Virgin Olive OilUse a good quality extra virgin olive oil; abundant for both cooking and dressing.
- ButterA small knob for the cooked puntarelle, plus a small piece for the final mantecatura.
- 1 pcsLemonZest of half a lemon for the marinade, plus extra zest for garnish. Use the juice if you prefer instead of apple cider vinegar.
- Apple Cider Vinegar(optional) — A splash for the ice water and for the marinade. Substitute with lemon juice if preferred.
- SaltFor the pasta water and to season the cooked puntarelle.
- Black PepperTo taste for the marinade and final dish.
- Bottarga (optional)(optional) — A pinch of grated bottarga added to the raw puntarelle marinade for extra umami.
Method
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Clean the puntarelle: remove outer leaves (do not discard; they can be used for soup or sautéed). Separate the inner tender shoots from the tougher outer stalks. Cut the outer stalks into thin strips (these will be cooked). Keep the inner shoots whole for the raw preparation.
- For the cooked puntarelle: in a pan, gently heat extra virgin olive oil with 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic, 2-3 anchovy fillets in oil, and a small chili pepper. Let the anchovies dissolve.
- Add the thinly sliced outer puntarelle stalks, a pinch of salt, and a small knob of butter. Cook on low heat until tender, adding a little water if needed.
- For the raw puntarelle: prepare a bowl of ice water with a splash of apple cider vinegar. Use a puntarelle slicer (or a sharp knife) to cut the inner shoots into thin spirals or strips. Drop them into the ice water; let them curl and crisp for about 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry with a clean cloth.
- Make the marinade for the raw puntarelle: in a bowl, grate a clove of garlic, add the zest of half a lemon, 1-2 chopped anchovy fillets, a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a splash of apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice). Whisk to emulsify. Season with pepper to taste. Optionally add a pinch of bottarga.
- Cook the linguine: boil until al dente (about 3-4 minutes). Reserve some pasta water.
- Finish the cooked puntarelle: if the pasta is high-quality, do not risottare from the start; add the pasta to the sautéed puntarelle pan during the last 2 minutes of cooking with a little pasta water. Stir vigorously to create a creamy sauce (risottatura). If using commercial pasta, you can start the risottatura earlier.
- When the pasta is creamy and the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat. Add a small knob of butter and a sprinkle of pepper. Toss gently.
- Serve: place a portion of the creamy pasta with cooked puntarelle on a plate. Top with a generous amount of the marinated raw puntarelle and a little of its creamy dressing. Finish with extra lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Cucina con Ruben
Home cookReviewer548K subscribers on YouTube242.9M total channel viewsRuben Bondi - cucina italiana, kosher e giudaico-romana. Diventato noto durante il lockdown cucinando dal balcone a Trastevere.
