Linguine with Sea Urchins

I was invited to judge a sea urchin fishing competition in Porto Badisco, one of the many small coastal towns in Puglia, right in Italy’s boot heel. The sea urchins had a marvellous flavour and were mostly eaten raw or on pasta. If you fish the urchins yourself (be careful of the spikes), try to collect only the slightly purple and green ones, not the black ones as these are inedible.