Italian
Calamarata Alla Pescatora
by Chef Max Mariola · 1.1M subscribers on YouTube
A rich seafood pasta with a mix of fresh small fish, shellfish, and crustaceans, cooked with garlic, chili, and olive oil. No tomato for a pure seafood flavor. The pasta soaks up all the delicious cooking juices from the seafood.
- Difficulty
- easy
Ingredients
14 items- MusselsFresh mussels, about 4 euros worth, small size preferred
- Lupini ClamsSmall clams with a delicate flavour
- ScampettiFresh small langoustines, about 2-3 per person
- SquidSmall squid (or cuttlefish)
- PolipettiBaby octopus
- CalamariFresh squid, medium-sized
- Baby CuttlefishSmall cuttlefish
- 4 pcsGarlicWhole cloves, use 1-2 at a time as needed (chef uses about 4-5 total)
- ParsleyFresh parsley, a small bunch, leaves only
- Chili PepperDried red chili pepper, to taste (optional in finishing sauce)
- 1/2 kgCalamarata500g dry calamarata pasta (Gragnano type, traditional, 16 min cooking)
- Extra Virgin Olive OilGood quality extra virgin olive oil (chef uses Ligurian Sommariva)
- Coarse SaltCoarse salt for pasta water
- Piennolo Tomatoes(optional) — Optional: a few preserved piennolo tomatoes (or good canned tomatoes)
Method
- Clean the mussels by removing the beard and scrubbing them together under water. Discard any open or broken ones.
- Check the clams (vongole lupini) by tapping them: if they do not close, discard. Wash and set aside.
- Clean the baby octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and scampi: remove the beak, eyes, and internal cartilage. Rinse well.
- Heat olive oil and a clove of garlic in a pan. Add the mussels, cover, and cook over high heat until they open. Remove the mussels and set aside, reserving the cooking liquid.
- In the same pan with new oil and garlic, open the clams in the same way. Reserve the liquid.
- Cut the squid into rings, cuttlefish into thin strips, and the octopus tentacles into pieces (keep some whole).
- In a large skillet, heat oil and garlic. Add the tentacles and cook until they start to stick, then add the remaining seafood (squid, cuttlefish, scampi). Sauté for a few minutes.
- If desired, add a few piennolo tomatoes (or canned tomatoes) and stir. Cook for a minute.
- Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the calamarata pasta and cook for 16 minutes (or according to package instructions).
- While the pasta cooks, remove the garlic from the seafood pan. Add a ladle of pasta cooking water to the skillet and let it reduce slightly.
- Shell some of the mussels and clams, and add the shelled ones and the remaining ones in their shells to the skillet with the cooking liquids. Toss to combine.
- When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the skillet. Mix well over high heat so the pasta absorbs the sauce. Add a little more pasta water if needed.
- Prepare a finishing sauce: blend parsley, a clove of garlic, olive oil, and chili (optional). This can be drizzled over the dish for adults.
- Plate the pasta generously. Drizzle with raw olive oil and the parsley sauce if desired. Serve immediately.
Chef Max Mariola
Professional chefReviewer1.1M subscribers on YouTube400.6M total channel viewsChef italiano. Ricette cucinate a casa, focus completo sulle ricette.
