“Fusilli ” in a Pesto sauce with tuna fish and ‘Bottarga’ – Lori’s way

Difficulty:  Time:

INGREDIENTS (x 4 persons):

• - 320 g of Fusilli pasta
• - 140 g Pesto sauce ‘alla Genevese’ (see recipe)
• - 200 g tuna, in olive oil
• - 4 tablespoons of gray mullet ‘Bottarga’
• - extra virgin olive oil
• - sea salt/fine salt/
• - black pepper, freshly grounded (as you like)

WHAT TO DO:

• 1) Take a big deep pan and bring the water for the pasta to boil. When boiling, add a handful of sea salt and let it go back to boil before adding the Fusilli pasta.
• 2) In the meanwhile put the pesto sauce on the bottom of a deep serving dish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the tuna chunks after draining them from the oil (in its can) and chop them into smaller pieces.
• Cook the pasta ‘al dente’.
• 3) When ready, drain the Fusilli from the water. Remember to keep aside a small bowl of the cooking water. You will need one or two tablespoons of this water to blend the pasta with the pesto-based sauce.
• 4) When properly mixed together, serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of ‘Bottarga’, if you like, black pepper.

TIPS & TRICKS:

• - Pasta ‘alla Carlofortina’ is the source of inspiration for this recipe.
• - ‘Bottarga’ is considered a “caviar” from Sardinia, often called the ‘poor men’s caviar’. It s a dense fish roe made from tuna, gray mullet or swordfish. It is very popular in Sicily and Sardinia even though it can be found throughout the Mediterranean.