Cold spaghetti at 4925 km – cold spaghetti with prawns in tomato and anchovy sauce
- Starter
- Medium
- 4
- 1 hour 15 minutes
PT1H15M
Matteo Metullio's clever cold spaghetti seafood recipe demonstrates just why one should never judge a book by its cover – nor a recipe by its appearance. The spaghetti is tossed in an 'invisible' sauce made from basil-infused tomato water, smoked oil and anchovy sauce, while the pasta itself sits on a layer of vibrant basil mayonnaise, proving that even the most visually simple of dishes can contain a host of complex flavours within it. With cold spaghetti and a topping of raw prawns, this elegant dish would make the perfect al fresco starter.
Ingredients
Tomato, anchovy and smoked oil sauce
- 550g of plum tomatoes , ripe
- 10 basil leaves
- 50g of anchovy sauce
- 35g of olive oil
- pepper
Basil mayonnaise
To serve
- 320g of spaghetti
- 60g of prawns , peeled
- salt
- olive oil
- 4 basil leaves
- 4 sorrel leaves
- 4 chervil leaves
Equipment
- Blender
- Wood chips (2)
- bowl of ice (2)
Method
1
Begin by preparing the tomatoes for the pasta sauce. Blitz the tomatoes in a blender to form a smooth purée, then transfer to a muslin cloth lined with the basil leaves and leave to infuse for 1 hour, placing a bowl underneath to collect the water
- 550g of plum tomatoes , ripe
- 10 basil leaves
2
Meanwhile, prepare the smoked oil. Pour the oil into a shallow tray and place on a rack. Heat some wood chips in a large wok or tray until smoking and place the wood chips on top, then cover in tin foil and leave to smoke for 30 minutes
- 35g of olive oil
3
For the mayonnaise, blanch the basil leaves in boiling water and immediately refresh in iced water to cool. Place in a blender with the olive oil and blitz to form a smooth purée
- 200g of basil
- 100ml of oil
5
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti. Cook for 8–10 minutes until tender, then drain and plunge into icy water to cool. Once cool, drain again and set aside
- 320g of spaghetti
6
Meanwhile, chop the prawns into small pieces and season well with salt and a dash of olive oil
- olive oil
- salt
- 60g of prawns , peeled
7
Mix the drained tomato water with the anchovy sauce and smoked oil, adding pepper to taste. Fold through the cold spaghetti, ensuring the sauce is evenly distributed
- 50g of anchovy sauce
- pepper
8
To serve, spoon a generous serving of basil mayonnaise onto each plate and top with a mound of spaghetti. Pile the dressed prawns on top of the spaghetti and garnish with basil, sorrel and chervil leaves
- 4 chervil leaves
- 4 basil leaves
- 4 sorrel leaves
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Cold spaghetti at 4925 km – cold spaghetti with prawns in tomato and anchovy sauce
