Seafood Spaghetti (Spaghetti ai frutti di mare) – Primo (First course)

Directions

1. Bring to a boil 7 litres of water with 3 tablespoons of salt added to cook the pasta in. Do not add oil to the water.
2. In a sautepan over high heat, add the clams and mussels.
3. Stir the clams and mussels gently occasionally until they all open.
4. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve. Strain the remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any sand and grit.
5. Put half of the clams and mussels on a chopping board and remove the meat and discard the shells. Finely chop the meat and set aside.
6. Meanwhile take the clam liquid and bring it to a boil in a small saucepan until reduced to half. Set aside.
7. In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and when warm add the chilli and garlic.
8. When they are fragrant but not coloured, add the tomatoes and parsley and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the white wine and the clam and mussel liquid and stir.
9. Meanwhile add your spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for the amount of time on the package. Add the chopped clam meat, the prawns, squid, and fish to the tomato sauce and reduce the heat to low.
10. Stir gently occasionally cooking for 5 to 10 minutes or until the fish and prawns have entirely changed colour.
11. Taste your seafood sauce and add the clams and mussels in the shell, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the spaghetti 1 minute before the end of the cooking time, strain, (do NOT rinse or pour oil over the pasta), and add to your seafood sauce with the reserved clams and mussels in the shell, tossing with the sauce and allowing it to absorb for 1 to 2 minutes.
12. Divide evenly into 4 pasta bowls, drizzle with nice extra virgin olive oil and grind some fresh black pepper over the top and serve.
13. NOTES A nice presentation for guests is to serve the pasta wrapped in paper. Simply cook the sauce only half way and cook the pasta for half the amount of time on the packet. Heat the oven to 220C. On a tray put out 4 sheets of parchment paper each about 50 cm long. Toss the half cooked pasta with the sauce and divide evenly between the pieces of paper, placing the pasta on half of each sheet, fold the paper over the top and start rolling and folding the edges of the paper to create a sealed container from which steam cannot escape. Place in the hot oven for 6 minutes. To serve put each paper package on a plate and allow the diners to open it themselves. The aroma released from the packet is truly magnificent. Serve with olive oil and a pepper grinder for to guests to add themselves.