Cuttlefish Ink Pasta with Tuna Bottarga

Method

1. Clean the cuttlefish: remove the ink sac carefully, separate the tentacles from the body, and thinly slice the body into strips. Reserve the ink sac.
2. Finely chop the parsley, slicing the stems separately. Peel the garlic cloves and halve the chili pepper.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
4. In a large pan, heat a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic cloves and parsley stems; sauté until fragrant, then remove and discard the garlic and stems.
5. Add the anchovies and chili pepper to the pan. Stir until the anchovies dissolve into the oil.
6. Add the cuttlefish tentacles and half of the sliced body. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Deglaze with a splash of white wine and let the alcohol evaporate completely.
8. Add the cuttlefish ink and a ladle of pasta cooking water. Stir well, season with salt, and keep the sauce simmering.
9. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente (fresh pasta cooks very quickly, about 1 minute). Reserve a cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta directly into the sauce pan.
10. Add a little pasta water and toss the pasta energetically to emulsify the sauce. Add the reserved raw cuttlefish strips and toss briefly (they should remain slightly crunchy).
11. Remove from heat, stir in fresh chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
12. Serve immediately, grating fresh tuna bottarga over each plate.