Perciatelli With Snails

Preparation:

Preparation: Let the snails drain for a couple of days in a basket with salad leaves and wet and squeezed breadcrumbs, keeping covered. Put them for about ten minutes in a bowl with coarse cooking salt, vinegar and a little water, shaking them frequently. Drain them, put them back in the bowl with more water, vinegar and salt and repeat the washing. Rinse them in running water, collect them in a saucepan, cover them with cold water, add the salt and, over moderate heat, bring to the boil. As soon as they come out of the shell, increase the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Drain them, refresh them, drain them again and with a stick extract the molluscs from the shells and dry them in a cloth. In a pan with the oil, brown the finely chopped onion and celery and the snails, add the peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook over moderate heat. Season the perciatelli that you have drained al dente with this sauce.