Tagliatelle is a nice wide noodle, made with an egg base. Perfect for picking up a heavy sauce and exactly its purpose. It is a noodle that is timeless, created in the late 1400s in the region of Romania, Italy. It is similar to fettuccine in size and people often substitute the fettucine in this dish. I no longer make my pasta and I would use a fettuccine if I could not find a nice tagliatelle in my market.
There are several ways to make the seafood portion of this dish. I like a nice thick creamy sauce in place of a thin runny sauce as the pasta was designed to grab your mouth and offer a nice thick smooth bite. So here I will show you my rendition of the dish.
I am going to use Monkfish, Mussels, Clams, Shrimp, calamari, and scallops. You can add or subtract the type of seafood you choose. I have an opinion that you should at least use three different types of seafood to give the dish depth.
2 tbsp olive oil
250 g (1/2lb) monkfish
250 g (½lb) shrimp peeled and deveined
150 g (5oz) clam meat (approximately 450g with shells)
150 g (5oz) mussel meat (approximately 500g with shells)
150 g (5oz) calamari tubes
250 g (1/2 pound scallops
2 tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves crushed
½ tsp chili flakes
½ cup white wine
1/2-1 cup clam juice
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup cream
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1-1.5 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup parsley finely chopped
500 g (1lb) pasta cooked + 1 cup cooking water reserved
In a large pan, add a splash of olive oil and allow to heat up.
Season the seafood with salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning then cook in batches until slightly golden brown.
NOTE: The shrimp/prawns should take no more than a minute per side (depending on size) and the calamari and mussels will take only a few minutes to cook. Take care not to overcook the seafood as it will become tough and rubbery. Rather undercook slightly as it will cook a little more while being tossed with the sauce and pasta.
Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, melt the butter and add the garlic and chili flakes. Add flour and form a light roux in the pan. Deglaze with lemon juice and wine. Add clam juice.
Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce by one-quarter volume.
Pour in the cream and allow to come to a simmer. Allow to cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Add the seafood (and any of its resting juices) and parsley and stir to combine.
Toss the sauce with cooked pasta and a splash of the pasta cooking water and toss to coat the pasta. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
Note to Ms Wellington….this is a timeless dish and I rarely make it for my gal since she is a meat and potato type. But if you love seafood dishes and Italian food. you have come to the right chef.