“I had a very enjoyable evening at Lolli Redini in Orange and especially enjoyed Simonn Hawke’s squid ink tagliarini with sardines. Please ask her to divulge the recipe.”
Tom Harris, Molong, NSW
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To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, Australian Gourmet Traveller, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant’s name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.
Ingredients
Squid ink pasta
Tomato, chilli and basil sauce
Method
Main
1.For squid ink pasta, process ingredients and a pinch of salt in a food processor until dough just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Wrap with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces then, using a pasta machine with rollers at the widest setting, feed one piece at a time (keep remaining pieces wrapped) through rollers. Fold in half lengthways, feed through rollers again, repeating until smooth, then reduce settings notch by notch, feeding and rolling until dough is 1mm thick. Using the linguine cutting attachment, feed pasta through cutters, dust liberally with flour, then hang over a rod to dry. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Hang until dry (3-6 hours or overnight), then store in a container in a cool dry place. Pasta will keep for up to 3 days.
2.For tomato, chilli and basil sauce, heat olive oil in a saucepan, add onion and stir over medium heat until soft and translucent (7-10 minutes). Add brown sugar, garlic, chilli and basil, stirring occasionally until sugar starts to caramelise (7-10 minutes). Add tomato, stir to combine, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until a third of the liquid evaporates (45-60 minutes) and sauce is thick. Season to taste. Makes 1 litre.
3.Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan, add onion, fennel and zucchini and cook over medium heat until soft (3-5 minutes). Add tomato sauce and cook until heated through (5-7 minutes). Season to taste and keep warm.
4.Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. When hot, add butter, remaining olive oil and sardines skin-side down and cook until crisp and just cooked through (2-3 minutes), don’t turn over as they will dry out. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente (1-2 minutes). Drain well, add to sauce in pan, toss gently to combine, then add basil leaves and serve immediately topped with sardines, scattered with lemon rind and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.
Note Squid ink is available from select fishmongers and delicatessens.
Notes