Ingredients (for 4 people)

For the pici:
150g stone-ground type 2 flour
150 g durum wheat semolina
150 g lukewarm water
Saffron pistils

For the nettle pesto:
200g cleaned nettles
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Chili powder
Salt
extra-virgin olive oil

For the marinade:
4 filets of goatfish
Turmeric
Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

For the crumbs:
Breadcrumbs
Turmeric
Extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Infuse a glass of 50° water with the saffron pistils. After an hour, blend the infusion with the flour, semolina and the remaining lukewarm water until the loaf is smooth and compact. Let the dough sit for 30 minutes, then roll it out until it’s 1 cm thick. Cut the dough into strips and roll them out to make the pici; place them on a tray lined with baking paper and dusted with a bit of semolina.

Place a single layer of pumpkin seeds on another baking tray lined with paper and toast for 15 minutes at a low temperature (less than 100°); a higher temperature will change their nutritional properties; rotate the seeds often.

Steam cook the nettles for a few minutes and set aside a few tablespoons of the water used. Pour the nettles, pumpkin seeds, a pinch of salt and chili powder in a mortar, add a small amount of olive oil and crush into a pesto. If needed, add part of the water put to the side.

Marinate the goatfish filets in a blend of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and turmeric for at least 1 hour. Sauté the fish for a minute per side, coating the filets with the marinade.

Brown the breadcrumbs in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of turmeric. Cook the pici in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes.

Pour a spoonful of pesto on a plate, add the pici and goatfish filets and top with the baked breadcrumbs.

This recipe was sent in by Marika Marcon for the Eubiochef 2018 contest in collaboration with ANT Toscana.