Pasta and first courses
Pasta and first courses
Calamarata with mixed seafood
Nonna Adele’s calamarata combines squid, mussels, lupini clams and prawns. The pasta cooks directly in the sauce, with strained shellfish cooking liquid and hot water added as needed.
From Nonna Adele’s kitchen
- Cooking
- Squid: 5 minutes initially; prawns: about 5 minutes; shellfish: boil for a further 3–5 minutes after the shells open; cook pasta until al dente
LET’S GET COOKING
Method
Buy mussels and clams from an authorised seller, with intact packaging and labelling. Clean them, discarding broken shells and any that do not close when tapped. Clean the squid and cut it into rings; prepare the peeled prawns.
Heat the oil in a large pan with the garlic and chilli. Add the squid and cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and let it evaporate, then add the chopped tomatoes.
Bring enough water to the boil in a saucepan to cook the mussels and clams. Add the shellfish and, after their shells open, continue boiling for 3–5 minutes. Discard any that stay closed. Remove the cooked shellfish from their shells and reserve the cooking liquid.
Strain the cooking liquid through food-safe cheesecloth. Add a little at a time to the squid sauce, allowing for its saltiness. Add the prawns and cook for about 5 minutes, until firm and opaque.
Add hot water to the sauce and bring it to the boil. Add the calamarata and stir often, adding more hot water a little at a time as needed.
When the pasta is al dente, add the mussels, clams and chopped parsley. Stir over the heat just long enough to heat the shellfish evenly, then serve immediately.
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