Michael Cimarusti is the winner of the James Beard award for ‘Best Chef’ and executive chef and owner of the two-Michelin-starred Providence in Los Angeles. Cimarusti is fanatical about fish and when combined with his Italian roots, he makes magic in the kitchen. Since we’re all looking for new ways to cook at home, now is your chance to see how a celebrated Michelin chef makes his own version of Pasta Mista and try whipping it up for yourself.
A quick primer, pasta mista translates to mixed pasta, which is usually a dish of leftover noodles of all shapes and sizes and whatever odds and ends you can add to make a dish. Cimarusti’s concoction is the elevated, seafood version of that concept. Enjoy…and good luck!
Michael Cimarusti (ph Noe Montes)
Pasta Mista by Chef Michael Cimarusti
Ingredients:
1# Black Mussels
1# Manila Clams
1#’s Head On Shrimp (Peel the shrimp, reserve the heads for the broth, butterfly the tails)
1.25# California Spiny Lobster (Boiled for 4 minutes, meat removed from the shell and cut into bite-sized pieces)
½# Cleaned Squid (Tubes cleaned and cut into rings, Tentacles ¼’d)
1 Bunch Green Basil, Leaves picked, stems reserved for Broth
1 Bunch Opal Basil, Leaves picked, stems reserved for Broth
2Cups Shellfish Broth (recipe below)
240 grams Pasta Mista (Available at Eataly.com Alfetra Organic Brand preferred)
For the Shellfish Broth:
1 28 oz. tin Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
4 Large cloves Garlic
1 Tbls. Tomato Paste
1 Bouquet basil stems, thyme branches, and parsley stems
1 750ml bottle dry white wine
1 Pinch of chili flakes
5.oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Broth from steaming clams
Broth from steaming mussels
Broth from braising squid
Heads from the prawns or shrimp
Head from the lobster cut into small pieces
Pasta Mista by chef Cimarusti
Method:
To Make the Broth:
Begin by steaming the clams and mussels; do so by heating 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive to a saucepan. Add a clove of garlic and a pinch of chili flake. Add the clams and ½ the bottle of the white wine. Cover the pot and allow the clams to open.
Remove the clams from the broth, when they are cool to the touch remove the clams from the shell and reserve the meat for the pasta. Discard the shells and reserve the broth. Add the mussels to the same pot and steam them open in the reserved broth from the clams. Cover the pot until the mussels open, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the mussels from the pot, when they are cool enough to touch, remove the meat from the shells reserve the meat and the broth. Heat a second saucepan over high heat add 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add a clove of garlic to the pan. When the oil begins to smoke add the cleaned squid, season with salt and a pinch of chili flakes. Stir with a spoon, add a splash of White wine, the wine should boil immediately.
Cook the squid for an additional 15-20 seconds and then remove it from the pot. Reserve the cooking liquid. Heat a saucepan over a high flame, add enough olive oil to cover the surface of the pan. Heat the oil until it begins to smoke, add a clove of garlic and then add the lobster shells and the prawn heads. Cook the shells over high heat while stirring occasionally. Allow the shells to brown, add the tomato paste and stir to coat the shells with the tomato paste, allow the tomato paste to caramelize slightly.
Add the remaining white wine and the reserved broth from the mussels, clams and squid. Add the bouquet and the San Marzano tomatoes and reduce the fire. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce by half. Strain the sauce first through a colander, press on the shells with a wooden spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Next, discard the shells and strain the broth through the finest mesh strainer that you have.
To Make the Pasta:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water until it tastes like the sea. Cook the pasta for eight minutes. While the pasta cooks heat a large sauté pan over a medium flame. Add a clove of garlic and a healthy pinch of chili flakes to the pan. When the garlic starts to sizzle add the prepared shellfish broth, bring the broth to a boil.
Just before the timer comes to an end, add the prepared shellfish, along with a handful of green and a handful of opal basil leaves. Add the pasta to the pan and toss the pan to coat the pasta with the broth and to reheat the shellfish. Add an ounce of olive oil to the pan and give it a taste. Adjust to seasoning as you see fit, serve immediately.
Providence Exterior (ph Noe Montes)