Spaghetti with scallops from the sea

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 350g spaghetti
• 12 sea urchins, fresh
• 1 shallot(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ chili pepper, halved, pitted
• 200 g tomatoes, peeled, from the can, best quality
• 50 ml white wine
• 1 dashes of vermouth (Noilly Prat)
• 100 ml fish stock
• 1 dashes lemon juice
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Spaghetti with sea urchins – a Sardinian specialty

First, gently fry the shallot, garlic, and chili pepper in olive oil, sautéing the chili pepper for just a few seconds or longer, depending on how hot you like it, then remove and discard. Add the tomatoes, flatten them slightly with a spatula, and bring to a boil. Now pour in the white wine, Noilly Prat, and stock and reduce. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Only make a very small amount of sauce so that the flavor of the roe can be clearly tasted later. Cut a lid off the small opening on the flatter side of the sea urchins, drain the liquid, and with a small spoon, scrape out just the pinkish-red roe, mix with a little lemon juice, and refrigerate. All other ingredients in the sea urchin are inedible, so be very meticulous when working with them. To do this, either use a glove or hold the sea urchin in one hand with tongs while carefully but forcefully cutting open the sea urchin with good scissors or a sharp knife. Only cut open a 1cm thick lid to access the roe, not in the middle. If you want to serve 1-2 sea urchins decoratively, rinse them thoroughly, scrape them out, and dry them in a preheated oven at 75°C for about 15 minutes. Then set them aside. Now add turmeric to the pasta water – it gives the pasta a beautiful yellow color – and cook the spaghetti in it until al dente. If desired, refill the sea urchins with a little tomato sauce and roe. Mix the remaining roe in the warm sauce and toss the pasta in it, then serve immediately. Place the stuffed sea urchins next to the dish, add a small spoonful per person to scoop out the roe, and serve as a primo. The roe will remain practically raw. Do not mix a decorative sea urchin with the pasta, as spines could get into it. I discovered this recipe on my vacation in Sardinia. Anyone who is able to get fresh sea urchins, which is possible everywhere in the Mediterranean, can easily recreate this recipe. On the other hand, there are now fishmongers here too who sell fresh sea urchins.