Not just a simple spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, and chili pepper, but a contemporary take featuring marinated mackerel, a mixture of breadcrumbs, pine nuts, parsley, and onion, served with albacore tuna sauce. We’re bringing back this “new classic” created a few summers ago by Ernesto Iaccarino at Don Alfonso 1890.

500 g mackerel fillets
500 g dry white wine
500 g white wine vinegar
Salt to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, unpeeled garlic, and fresh herbs to taste (for cooking in oil)

In a small saucepan, combine the white wine, white vinegar, and salt; bring to a boil and let cool completely.
Cut the mackerel fillets into rectangles measuring about 4 cm x 2 cm.
Submerge the mackerel pieces in the cooled carpione and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Once the time has elapsed, drain the mackerel and place it in a container with oil flavored with herbs and unpeeled garlic cloves.
Cover with plastic wrap and steam at 85 °C for about 15–20 minutes, until the center of the mackerel is pink.

In a skillet with a drizzle of oil and a sprig of rosemary, toast and flavor the breadcrumbs; set aside.
Chop the onion and braise it in a skillet with some oil until caramelized.
Finely chop the pine nuts and parsley.
Combine the toasted breadcrumbs, caramelized onion, pine nuts, and parsley. Spread the mixture out and dry it in a food dehydrator at 60 °C for 2 hours.

Combine the albacore tuna, oil (20 g), smooth mustard, rinsed salted anchovies, water, a dash of 4-year-aged balsamic vinegar of Modena, salt, and white pepper in a food processor.
Blend until a smooth, homogeneous emulsion forms.

Blanch the parsley in boiling water for 40–50 seconds, then immediately transfer it to an ice bath to set the color.
Partially squeeze the parsley dry and place it in the bowl of an immersion blender along with 5 g of oil and 250 g of sparkling water (used to reduce blade friction and preserve the bright green color).
Blend until smooth, thicken the sauce with tapioca, season with salt, and refrigerate.

Boil the artisanal spaghetti in plenty of salted water.
In a large skillet, prepare the base by gently sautéing the 4 garlic cloves and the chili pepper in 60 g of extra virgin olive oil. Drain the pasta al dente and toss it in the sauce.

Place a spoonful of albacore tuna emulsion on the bottom of each plate.
Arrange the nest of al dente spaghetti in the center.
Place 3 pieces of marinated mackerel on top of the spaghetti.
Sprinkle the top with the crispy mixture of bread, onions, parsley, and pine nuts.
Drizzle and finish the dish with a swirl of parsley sauce.