Prep Time 10 minutes - Total Time 30 minutes - Serves 2
Seafood pasta, does it get any better?
Not really, unless you were sat somewhere hot and sunny, wearing sunglasses and facing the Mediterranean sea. Then I’m sure this dish would taste even better.
This is the kind of food that gets me in the holiday mood and has me dreaming of eating my way around Italy.
(You will also find this recipe on page 72 of my book Richard’s Family Favourites click here)
Ingredients
150 g of orzo pasta.
1 onion, finely diced.
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced.
1 red chilli, roughly chopped, seeds in or out you decide.
1 knob of butter.
100 ml of white wine.
400 g tin of chopped tomatoes.
1 handful of fresh mussels.
4 large king prawns in the shells.
1 squid tube and tentacles, tube sliced into rings and tentacles roughly chopped.
Pinch of chilli flakes.
Chopped fresh parsley for serving.
½ lemon, juice only.
Method
Into a large pan add the onions, garlic, chillies, seasoning and gently soften over a low heat in the butter and a small drizzle of olive oil. Cook till tender, around 7-10 minutes.
While the onions are doing their thing get a pot of boiling salted water on the go. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet minus 2 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked drain, mix in a little olive oil and place to one side.
Once the onions are done, turn the heat up to high, pour in the wine and reduce till almost gone.
Next, pour in the tomatoes. Take the empty can and fill it half away with water then pour that in. Season and allow to come to a boil then reduce and simmer for 2-4 minutes.
Now add the cooked pasta and mix it into the sauce. Arrange the mussels on top then turn the heat down to low, pop a lid on and leave till the mussels open. Should take around 4 minutes, any that do not open thrown away.
For the king prawns get another frying over a really high heat. Add a sprinkling of salt to the pan then sit the prawns on top of the salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes depending on how big they are, turning over halfway. Once done sit on top of the mussels and pasta.
In the same pan that you’ve cooked the prawns, and still over a high heat add a drizzle of olive oil. Throw in the squid along with the chilli flakes and fry for a minute. After the minute add the butter and give it another minute. Once done add to the pasta.
Finished the dish off with a squeeze of the lemon, a sprinkling of parsley and a little drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
**Important Cleaning Tips**
Please be careful when cooking with raw mussels, they MUST be alive at the time of cooking. Place the mussels in a colander and give them a good wash under cold running water. Use the back of a knife to scrape off any barnacles, give them a scrub if need be, and pull the mussels beards off. Once cleaned check the mussels are all closed. If any are open give them a tap on the shell and if they close they are alive. If they stay open, throw it in the bin as it’s dead and you don’t want to eat one.