Guitar Pasta on the Rocks
“On the rocks” is the literal translation of allo scoglio, but in Italian it signifies any seafood preparation that depends on products from right along the coast, hence a summertime, vacation-at-the-seaside dish. Here we use fresh clams, mussels, shrimp, and squid, but you could use just clams, mussels, and chunks of swordfish, or clams, shrimp, and lobster. Traditionally it’s a mixture of shellfish and finfish, but even that is not a rule cast in stone. Anywhere around the Mediterranean the shrimp would be added with their heads and shells intact, but North Americans probably would prefer to have the shrimp peeled and the black vein removed.
Pasta alla chitarra is a classic from the Abruzzi, handmade with durum flour and eggs and shaped using the curious “guitar” instrument from the region (see here for instructions). Or use pasta secca—linguine or tonnarelli would be perfect.
Note: If you use all the fish in the ingredients list, it will be enough for eight generous servings. For a smaller quantity, either halve the recommended seafood ingredients, or simply omit one or more of them.
SERVES 8
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 or 4 plump shallots, finely chopped
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon fennel pollen or fennel seeds
Pinch saffron threads
2 bay leaves
2 or 3 thyme sprigs
½ pound small tomatoes (such as cherry or grape), halved
¼ cup passata di pomodoro (pureed tomatoes)
1 dried hot red chili pepper
¼ cup dry white wine
1 pound small Manila clams in their shells, cleaned (see here)
1 pound mussels in their shells, cleaned (see here)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 medium shrimp
½ pound fresh squid, the smaller the better, sliced into rings
About 1 pound (500 grams) fresh pasta alla chitarra or dried linguine or tonnarellli
Slivered basil, for garnish
Combine half the garlic and all the shallots with the oil in a large deep skillet. Set over low heat and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are almost melting. Do not let them brown. Add the fennel pollen, saffron, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir together, then add the tomatoes and pureed tomatoes, along with the chili pepper.
Combine the wine and the remaining garlic in a separate saucepan and set over medium heat. As soon as the wine is simmering, add the clams and cook just until they open. Remove each clam as it opens and set aside. When all the clams are done, add the mussels to the same saucepan and again cook until they open, removing each one as it does so. (Any clams or mussels that do not open after 8 to 10 minutes should be discarded.)
Strain the juice left in the bottom of the pan through several layers of cheesecloth to get rid of the grit. Add the strained juice to the tomato sauce. Taste the sauce and add salt, if necessary, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
While the water is heating, add the shrimp and sliced squid to the tomato sauce and let simmer in the sauce just until cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. At the very end add the mussels and clams in their shells, simmering them just long enough to heat them up. If necessary, add a ladle of pasta water to the sauce.
Add salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook following the directions here. If you’re using freshly made pasta alla chitarra, it will cook in about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer to a warm platter, then arrange the sauce over the pasta, piling up the different types of seafood. Garnish with a dribble of oil and some slivered basil.
Serve immediately.
COOK’S TIP Restaurant kitchens, with access to very large skillets and cooking surfaces, often pull the pasta before it is completely cooked, drain it, and transfer it to the sauce right before adding the lobster, mussels, and clams, along with a ladleful of pasta water. The pasta finishes cooking in the sauce, absorbing all the flavors; then the lobster chunks, mussels, and clams are tossed in at the end. It’s a great technique but, because of the quantities involved, a little awkward for most home cooks.