IN THE ROTATION: Sorta Easy Seafood Spaghetti
For entertaining this spring, or to up-level any weeknight
The first time I made this dish, I thought, “Wow, that was so easy, and it tastes amazing too!” When I went back into the kitchen to refine it for you, I thought, “Hmm, I guess ‘easy’ is a relative term.” Honestly, it is pretty easy, but it depends on your definition of that word and your tolerance for prep work. There are a few shortcuts you can take to shave time off. So let’s just say it’s sorta easy. Pretty easy. Kinda easy. A real treat for a weeknight but fancy enough for weekend dinner party guests.
My husband and I were joking that this dish is “restaurant quality” — a term people like to use to compliment someone’s home cooking. I always find this to be kind of a funny compliment, because, let’s face it, that would really depend on the restaurant! Steve says that calling a restaurant dish “Susan quality” would be more of a compliment. Yes, I’m blushing.
When I was first thinking about making this, I wanted to build a quick and flavorful base for the sauce, so I immediately thought: “Clams!” Just a few clams coaxed open in a bath of white wine and garlic produce a bounty of deeply flavored liquid that forms the foundation of flavor for this pasta dish. My mind went to a red clam sauce that wasn’t TOO tomato-ey, but was built more on that powerful broth. Finally, and here’s the restaurant trick, it’s finished off with a couple pats of butter, which not only brings all the flavors together, but also gives the sauce body and thickness and helps it to coat the strands of pasta.
You could use any pasta shape that you want, but I particularly like spaghetti for this dish. It’s pretty traditional, and it just works. I’m forever haunted by the memory of a spectacular seafood spaghetti that I had in Sardegna a few years back. It was served in “cartoccio,” a parchment package that made it all the more special. But that would take too long!
Shortcuts, Tips, and Subs
Buy pre-peeled shrimp to cut out most of the prep.
Frozen uncooked shrimp will work too, just make sure to cook off any extra moisture that exudes.
Medium shrimp work great here as they are just the right size, and quite a bit cheaper than larger ones too.
If you use larger shrimp, cut them in half. Smaller pieces of seafood work best with the long pasta.
I used bay scallops the first time I made this, but they are a rare treat. Sea scallops work fine, cut into 4 chunks each.
If you can’t find scallops, just leave them out. I like the variety of 3 kinds of seafood, but it will still be delicious with 2. Up the amount of clams and shrimp a bit if omitting.
Another time saver/shaver would be to skip the parsley. I didn’t have any the first time I made this, and it was still great. But it was even better with it.
If you’re the type who likes to cook in stages, steam the clams an hour or so before you want to finish the dish. Pull the clams from the shells, reduce the clam broth and strain it into a small bowl. Rinse the pan.
Now you’re ready to boil the pasta and finish the sauce, which only takes a few minutes.