Tagliatelle al sugo di mare
“Home-made pasta is very porous and absorbs liquid very easily. To my mind there is nothing better than the delicious liquor that comes from various seafood, such as mussels, pipis (vongole), baby calamari rings, scallops and any white fish fillets – all flavoured with olive oil, garlic, white wine and flat-leaf parsley. There is a freshness to this dish that is addictive. A range of fish and shellfish is readily available in Australia all year round, so substituting ingredients is very easy.”
Ingredients
11⁄2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 small calamari, cut into small pieces
4 large prawns or 8 small ones, shelled
1 small fish fillet, cut into small pieces
30 ml dry white wine
8 mussels, briefly steamed until open
20 pipis, briefly steamed until opened
fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, hand-torn at the last minute
300 g Egg Pasta
extra-virgin olive oil
Method
Step 1
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the garlic and fry for a few seconds. Add the calamari, prawns, fish and wine, and cook for a few minutes.
Step 2
Next add the steamed shellfish. Cook for a few more moments and add the parsley just before you toss the sauce with the tagliatelle.
Step 3
When you are ready to eat, prepare the tagliatelle. Use a pasta machine to roll out the pasta. Cut the rolled pasta sheet into manageable lengths, then roll up each length and slice thinly.
Step 4
Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain well, then toss with the sauce.
Step 5
Serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. This sauce should be fairly liquid, but not too wet, and it should taste of the sea. If you feel the need for some variety, you can embellish the recipe with finely diced zucchini or tomato, which should be added after the garlic, and before you add the seafood.