Seafood Linguine

Seafood Shopping

Yesterday I visited one of Melbourne’s Markets with a friend.  We enjoyed a light lunch of Vietnamese Lemon Grass Soup with Rice Noodles. Followed by, traipsing around the market and buying our goodies for the weekend. We both stocked up on fresh seafood, meat, fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and deli goods. This plan has been in the pipeline for a number of weeks and we were both free yesterday and happy that the plan came to fruition. Our plan is to visit other markets around our city for more foodie adventures.

For me the fresh seafood at the market is always a highlight as is the fresh produce. I decided to make a pasta dish with wonderful plump green prawns, mussels, calamari and large juicy scallops.  I purchased some freshly made linguine from the pasta stall, which was a  good idea as it gave me the opportunity not to rush home and make the pasta. Sometimes it is good take some time out, have a break and enjoy other simple pleasures of being surrounded by a friend, fresh produce, fresh ingredients and a great atmosphere.

Ingredients
800 grams fresh Linguine
300 grams green prawns (cleaned & tails left)
1 large calamari tube (cut into rings)
300 grams mussels (cooked in 1/2 cup of water)
250 grams scallops
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (extra to drizzle on pasta)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 litres of water (to cook pasta)
1/2 cup water (to cook mussels)
extra olive oil to cook seafood (calamari, prawns & scallops)

Preparation Time:     15-20 minutes (Approximately)
Cooking Time:      15-20 minutes (Approximately)
Serves:      4 people (Approximately)

Cooking

Clean the prawns by removing the black line running down the back of the prawn (the intestinal tract).  You can then pat dry the prawns and scallops with a paper towel. Remove beards from the mussels and wash thoroughly. Cook the mussels in a pan by adding 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a boil, add the mussels, allow them to open. Remove and place aside (keeping the juice).

Add 4 litres of water to a large pot over medium to high heat, bring to the boil. Reduce the heat allow to gently simmer until you are ready to add the pasta.

Add a little olive oil to a pan over medium heat and cook the scallops, browning on one side for 2 minutes and then turning over and cooking for another minute. Remove the scallops and place aside.  Add a little more oil, add the prawns to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes on one side and then turn over and cook for another minute.  Remove and place aside.  Add a little more oil and cook the calamari rings one minute on each side. Remove and place aside.

Add the mussel juice to the pan over medium to high heat and reduce the juice with the brown crusts leftover from cooking the seafood. Reduce so you have less than half of the liquid left in the pan.

Turn up the heat for the pasta pot, bring to the boil, add salt to the water, add the pasta, stir to ensure the pasta separates.  Whilst the pasta is cooking, add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil to a deep pan, add the garlic and cook quickly for one minute. Ensure the garlic doesn’t brown or burn.  Turn the heat off, add the parsley and reserve some of the parsley for garnish. Add all the seafood to the pan, as well as the juice reduction, gently mix and combine with the garlic, parsley and olive oil.

When the pasta is cooked (al dente), remove from the heat and strain using a colander. Add the pasta to the seafood pan, mix thoroughly and serve garnishing with parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Cook’s Tips

Cooking the seafood separately ensures even cooking and browning. The brown crusts that form in the pan are full of flavour from the seafood and once the mussel juice is added and reduced you are left with a lovely reduction that will enhance the dish when combined with the seafood before serving.

When combining all the ingredients in the main pan be gentle.

You may also wish to choose another pasta type rather than Linguine, feel free to choose the one you prefer.

Enjoy!