Come summer, there's just something about seafood spaghetti – the aroma of garlic as it sizzles in the pan and then those flavors that immediately recall the sea, summer, holiday, and time to relax.
Clams, mussels, and razor clams usually serve as the basics, which are then combined with garlic and tomatoes to make for this classic Mediterranean pasta dish beloved all around Italy – a dish so widespread that's just as simple to make as it is tricky.
Just shellfish or also crustaceans?
Seafood spaghetti traditionalists would turn their noses up just at the thought of combining the two. And yet the mixture of shellfish and crustaceans (especially shrimp) is not at all unpleasant. In fact, beachside restaurants present some form of this combo often, such as with, say, clams, mussels, razor clams, and shrimp.
Fresh tomatoes? Better than passata or purée
Fresh tomatoes are best – especially during summer when they're in season. Plum or cherry tomatoes are the most suitable. Cut them in half, and sauté them with garlic and olive oil for about 10 minutes. It’s important that they maintain their consistency and they don’t get too soft.
Seafood spaghetti recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
12 oz. spaghetti
50-80 clams, mussels, and razor clams
1 clove garlic
3 cups cherry tomatoes
parsley or basil, roughly chopped - extra virgin olive oil - black pepper
Method:
Clean razor clams, clams, and the mussels, and cook each shellfish for 5 minutes in separate pots until they open. Once all the shells are open, remove them from the heat and retrieve the cooking water from all the shells, strain it and keep it aside.
In a large pan brown the garlic in a little oil, and when it’s golden brown add the tomatoes cut in half and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the shellfish (partly shelled) and the water they released during cooking and cook for another 5 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a pot of water to the boil, toss in the spaghetti and cook up until 5 minutes before complete cooking time.
Drain, setting aside 2 Tbsp. of the cooking water, and add the spaghetti to the fish sauce. Let it simmer for a few minutes, adding the cooking water if necessary.
Add salt, sprinkle with pepper, and if you like add basil or chopped parsley. Serve the spaghetti hot.
Check out the gallery above for five mistakes to avoid when making seafood spaghetti.