Black Tagliatelle ai Frutti di Mare

By John, 10 April, 2020
Region
Italy
Description
Black Tagliatelle With Clams

This was an amazing discovery!

Not a discovery for the world, in the sense that Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin meant it when he said "The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity than the discovery of a new star." No, it was just luck on our part that it came out so well. 

I'm glad, too, that I thought to prepare it in a pan that could be brought to the table, so I could assemble it nicely while it was still cooking.  

I'd been researching Italian pasta and risotto dishes, and I kept bumping into mentions of the black squid ink pasta. I'd seen it in shops but never had a reason to buy it. 

Black Tagliatelle With Clams

But during the Great Coronavirus Lockdown of 2020, I was actively pursuing interesting pasta dishes, so one sunny Saturday afternoon we donned our face-masks and went to Lo Adoro on Rte 6a on Cape Cod. I've bought plenty of research materials there this spring, and I remembered seeing the black tagliatelle.

By the time we got home, I had assembled this Tagliatelle ai Frutti di Mare in my head for Friday, and it was wonderful! I hope you enjoy it. 

Yield
2 Servings
Preparation time
30 minutes
Ingredients
8 oz Squid Ink Tagliatelle
4 T Olive oil
1⁄2 small onion (chopped)
1 clv Garlic (crushed)
8 Large Shrimp (uncooked, shelled)
8 Green Olives
8 Littleneck clams
1 c Fish Stock
1 c Dry Vermouth
1 pn Oregano, Dried
2 T Fresh Parsley (chopped)
Instructions
  1. Put on to boil a big pasta pot full of salted water.
  2. In a wide shallow dish with a cover, heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic.
  3. Add the shrimp and saute briefly on both sides.
  4. Add the olives and the clams, the fish stock, and the dry vermouth. Cover the pan and turn down the heat. Let it simmer about 10 minutes.
  5. When the clams are open and the shrimp are cooked, remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
  6. Turn up the heat to reduce the liquid. Add the oregano.
  7. Cook the pasta.
  8. When the sauce is reduced, lower the heat. When the pasta is finished, drain it and add it to the sauce, tossing to coat.
  9. Spread the pasta around to fill the pan, then decorate it with the clams, shrimp, and olives. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.