Pasta roller and cutter (if not using a rolling pin and knife)
Ingredients
Pasta
100g00 flour
100gdurum semolina flour
2eggs
½tbspolive oil
1/2tspsaltbushdried and powdered
4gsquid ink
Sauce
2tbspsalt
2blue swimmer crabsraw
1tbspolive oilextra virgin (we used Rio Vista Olives' Gigi)
10gbutter
1/2tspdried red chilli
1clovegarlicminced
1tbspverjuice
1tbsplemon juice
1tbsplemon zest
1tbspflat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
4-5finger limesflesh only
1tsplarge salt flakeshere we are using Black Sea salt, coloured with vegetable carbon; if substituting with finer ground salt, ensure that you lessen the amount accordingly
Instructions
Pasta
Mix the flours together, before dividing into two 100g amounts, each in its own mixing bowl. Alternatively, you can form two wells out of the flour on a flat kneading surface, but it will get messy once you start mixing in the squid ink.
Combine the egg, egg yolk, and oil, whisking lightly. Pour half of this into one of the mixing bowls; retain the other half.
Into the mixing bowl to which you’ve just introduced your wet ingredients, add the squid ink. Combine using a fork, until dough holds together as a ball. You can also use a food processor to assist in colour distribution.
Knead vigorously for 10 minutes, then seal in cling wrap. Rest for 30 minutes away from direct sunlight or heat.
Add the other half of the egg and oil mix into the remaining bowl of flour, with the dried saltbush. Combine using a fork, until dough holds together as a ball.
As before, knead for 10 minutes, and then seal in cling wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
Next, roll each dough individually through the thickest setting of the pasta machine a few times, folding over itself in between passes. Then incrementally step both doughs through to a thickness of 6, or medium-thin.
Cut the saltbush pasta sheets into lengths of approximately 15cm, and then use a knife or machine attachment to slice it into fettuccine. Lay the squid ink pasta out flat on a lightly floured surface, spritz lightly with water, and then lay the saltbush fettuccine across it (perpendicular). Try to leave as little gap between the fettuccine pieces as possible.
Roll lightly with a pin, trim excess pasta off the sides, and then pass it back through the pasta machine at a thick setting (around 3 on a 9-setting machine). Step up to a slightly thinner setting (4), then roll it through before cutting into 25-30cm sheets.
Use a machine attachment or knife to cut the sheets into tagliolini. Toss lightly in flour and then transfer to a baking paper lined oven tray. Refrigerate uncovered for up to one week.
Sauce
Fill a large stock pot with water, add 2 tbsp of salt, and bring to the boil. Drop the crabs in and boil for 6-8 minutes. They should turn orange and float when ready. Transfer to a bowl of iced water and leave for 20 minutes. Once cool, crack open and remove flesh.
Heat 1tbsp of oil and the butter in a frypan, on low-medium heat, and then gently fry the chill and garlic for 3-4 minutes.
Add the verjuice and lemon juice, with the crab meat, and stir. Allow to reduce slightly before mixing in the lemon zest, parsley, and half of the finger lime.
To Serve
Drop the pasta into a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water, and cook until al dente. It should only take 4-5 minutes, and the pasta should still be firm to the bite but show no raw dough when cut into.
Drain the pasta, retaining a little of the cooking water, and then add the pasta into the frypan. Turn the heat up to high, and use a little pasta water to assist emulsification with the sauce as you toss it together.
Serve with the remaining finger lime flesh on top, and a sprinkle of salt flakes.
Notes
Note: If your pasta dough seems too dry as you bring it together, slowly add water in small (1-2tsp amounts). The variation that exists in egg sizes may mean that moisture levels differ from the recipe and require more or less additional hydration.