Seafood Pasta Recipe

[KarenNC]

Does anyone have a great recipe or suggestion for a tasty seafood pasta salad?

[Wendy w]

Lorelei posted a really good looking one with crab on a picnic thread a while back. I did a search and was unable to find it. I have printed it out, but it is at home. Maybe if she sees this, she will repost it.

[Beth]

Not sure if it's what you had in mind, but we had the Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Peppers and Olives from the April '01 CL. We loved it, and thought that if you wanted to serve it in an easier to eat form, you could use a curly pasta or orrechette -- something that would catch the chopped tomatoes and peppers. You could also add some beans, use scallops or crab. It was very fresh and flavorful.

[KarenNC]

Wendy W and Beth -Thanks for your response

[kwormann]

We had June's Mediterranean SHrimp and Pasta the past 2 nights and loved it http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[lorilei]

Karen -

As mentioned, I do have a delicious "recipe" to share. One of my favorite pasta salads (especially in the summer) is composed of penne pasta, flaked lump crab, kalamata olives, chopped red peppers, diced tomatoes and fresh basil -- tossed with a dressing made from balsamic vinegar and a splash of extra virgin olive oil.

It's a perfect pasta combination -- the sweetness of the crab paired with the tangy-saltiness of a kalamata olive... mmm... my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

[Wendy w]

Thanks for posting this again, Lorelei! I want to try it on my next outdoor outing! I have printed it out and it is now in my "abyss" of copied recipes. I have Mastercook, now I NEED a computer at home badly.

[KarenNC]

Thanks for recipe. Are the amount of ingredients determined by cook?
It looks very good. Will give it a try.

[lorilei]

Karen -

Yes, this recipe is very ad-lib. I can make some generalizations about the recipe:

I usually use about 4 cups of cooked pasta (usually penne), 1/2 lb or so of crab, one diced red pepper, one or two diced tomatoes (Roma or "on-the-vine"), a handful of sliced kalamatas, 1/2 cup or so of basil and enough dressing to coat the salad.

It's so easy that a real recipe is really unnecessary. The salad keeps well and is great for transporting for picnics and get-togethers.

[Gail]

Interested in a calamari pesto pasta? (of course this does require that you clean the little devils, which kind of sends armies of creeping gundgies down my spine, but if that doesn't scare you off, I'll give you my sort-of recipe... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[valchemist]

I am brave. I have cleaned them before and will clean them again. Hand it over! (the recipe, that is.)

thanks in advance, sounds like a great (and a somewhat out of the ordinary) recipe.

valerie

[lorilei]

Yes Gail. Give us the recipe for the funny little critter salad. After cleaning the critters for our Greek dinner, I'm prepared to deal with their creeping grundgies.

Plus, you /know/ we'll make it at our house http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif We like all sorts of smelly, weevil-ish things!

[Gail]

Hmmm... Now originally I made this with a low fat pesto sauce I had from (clearing throat, glancing around furtively) the now-defunct Eating Well. For some reason, (maybe I decided I liked this version better)I see I've written it full-fat. So, if you want to sub your favorite pesto sauce, no biggie. Or if you want the one from The Enemy, I'll provide it.

Although probably I borrowed the pesto recipe from one of my books, the rest of this recipe is strictly estimated, so feel free to play with it (well, not literally-- that green stuff gets messy.) This is my take on a pasta salad served at San Diego's Fish Market.

CALAMARI PESTO PASTA

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (no cheating with the green cannister, please)
1 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup melted butter
5 - 10 cloves garlic (I usually settle somewhere in the mid-range)
1/2 tablespoon pine nuts
6 tablespoons olive oil

Grate cheese in Cuisinart. Add basil. Add melted butter, garlic, pine nuts and finally oil, allowing each ingredient to blend smoothly with preceding one. Let stand at least 1 hour (sitting is also acceptable.) Pesto, unlike us, will last a long time refrigerated in a plastic container.

PASTA SALAD

Linguini
1/2 - 3/4 pounds calamari, cleaned (we're talkin' those little fellas with their cute little squiggly tentacles-- the ones you routinely say, "Eeew" at when passing the fish department.)
1 - 2 firm plum tomatoes, cut in semi circles
Red onion to taste, thinly sliced (I'd say paper-thin. You will find a little in this stuff goes a LONG way)
Freshly grated Parmesan

Clean and remove cartilage from calamari trying not to cut off your fingers while looking the other way. Cut calamari tubes into 1/4 inch slices. Laughing fiendishly, drop calamari into boiling water 1 - 2 minutes until rings curl or your neighbors ask you to shut up. Remove calamari and drain. Cook linguini till al dente, remove from water, rinse and cool. Have a glass of nice sauvignon blanc while waiting. To cooled pasta, add calamari, a couple of tablespoons of pesto, toss (preferably within some kind of bowl) and refrigerate overnight. Marinate onion in a liberal amount of pesto and refrigerate separately.

To serve, add onions, tomato and liberal sprinkling of grated parmesan to pasta and calamari and mix thoroughly. Serve with crusty bread, that sauvignon blanc and an ocean view if possible.

Don't come looking for me if you put in too much onion. You can always take some out...


[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 06-01-2001).]

[Natasha]

k Gail...I am copying these out and following them to the letter - Sauvignon Blanc and all! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Tell me I didn t come to mind when you wrote that part, oh drinking buddy...

Thanks for sharing these.

[emilycat]

Gail,
I'm copying this recipe for myself because I want to make it, and sending it to my sister because she thinks you're a riot. This one's vintage Gail, so I think she'll appreciate it. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[valchemist]

Gail, the recipe sounds great! Sorry if I sound like a novice (I am) but I have a couple of questions.

1) You say marinate onion in a liberal amount of pesto. Then later you say "to serve, add onions..." Does this mean you add the onions and all of that "liberal amount of pesto"?

2) would you be so kind as to estimate amounts for me. I don't want to overwhelm the dish with pesto or onions or use too much or too little pasta. how much of each of those ingredients would be appropriate?

thanks. I am learning something new every day here, but I am still a bit "needy" when it comes to ingredient amounts and directions.

Valerie

[Gail]

Originally posted by valchemist:
Gail, the recipe sounds great! Sorry if I sound like a novice (I am) but I have a couple of questions.

1) You say marinate onion in a liberal amount of pesto. Then later you say "to serve, add onions..." Does this mean you add the onions and all of that "liberal amount of pesto"?

2) would you be so kind as to estimate amounts for me. I don't want to overwhelm the dish with pesto or onions or use too much or too little pasta. how much of each of those ingredients would be appropriate?

thanks. I am learning something new every day here, but I am still a bit "needy" when it comes to ingredient amounts and directions.

Valerie

Valerie,

Oooh. It's been a few years since I've made this. (If you go back and read my stuff in the archives, you'll find I'm always saying that, but it's true.

I'm not sure how to estimate amounts for you at all. How much pesto you put on is like adding any other sauce-- some of us like a lot, others don't. I'd just suggest you put on enough to lightly coat your pasta and give it a taste test. If you want more, you can always add it.

Insofar as the onion is concerned, I don't think Fish Market even marinates theirs-- I just happen to find the taste of the raw red onion a bit much. Slice it really thin and mix it in with enough pesto to coat the onion and hopefully mellow the flavor out a bit. You may actually find that a couple of slices of onion will do just fine-- Think of it as tossing on a few rings as a garnish, if that helps at all. When I specify marinating in a liberal amount of pesto you shouldn't be drowning the poor onion, and if your onion seems more green than red when you're preparing to serve, shake off the excess pesto.

Sorry I can't be more specific-- that's why I referred to it as a "sort-of recipe."

Good luck!

[SusanL]

Gail Wow, that recipe looks great!! I will save it for when DH has a business trip, somehow he can't get those puupies past his nose- go figure!!

[valchemist]

Thanks for the pointers, Gail. I guess one of these days I will have to learn to "fly on my own." I can't hang on to the apron strings of this bb forever. Or maybe I can. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif But what I mean is that I have to learn not to be so dependent on numbers and specifics. (I am very scientifically oriented - left brained. So I am one of those non-creative, non-experimental types...I'm learning though.)

p.s. editing here. okay, I actually have one more question. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif I love the legs of those little critters. I guess your recipe doesn't include them. Just wondering, do you or does anyone else know how to prepare the legs properly? I know this sounds gross, but how do I keep them intact. Maybe you can only use the legs if you have little baby calamaris...aawww cute little babies. I guess you would cook them the same way as you would cook the rings.

[This message has been edited by valchemist (edited 06-03-2001).]

[Gail]

Oh I'm sorry, Valerie. I just assumed when I'm describing calamari as gross-looking that the tentacles are part of the set. (I am talking about small calamari, you understand, where the tentacles are maybe an inch long.) By all means include them-- we think they're yummy, too. You cook 'em the same length of time as the rings-- it's just easier to gauge the cooking time based upon the rings curling, that's why I didn't mention tentacles. They hardly take any time at all to cook either-- a minute or two. Overcooked calamari like gnawing on a Goodyear!

[valchemist]

Gail, I just assumed http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif that you were talking about the big squids (8" to 12" long or so, not counting tentacles). Those Are the kind you can stuff with all sorts of yummy stuff. I have never worked with the little ones before. So anyway, That's why I asked about how to fix the tentacles. I couldn't figure out how you would do it with out having individual long strands of tentacles everywhere. Thanks. -Valerie

[This message has been edited by valchemist (edited 06-03-2001).]

[Gail]

A fine couple of assumers we are, hmm? I'm afraid that around here, I simply don't ever see the big bruiser calamari sorts. But, in case I do, tell me what kinds of yummy things you stuff 'em with.

[valchemist]

I have Marcella Hazan's book entitled The Essentials of Italian Cooking. Wonderful resource. I haven't made too many of the recipes but I have used the book as a reference on various occasions. Among other things, the book has a great section on risotto, on focaccia, and one on how to clean and prepare squid. The squid section has a step by step guide to cleaning squid (complete with lovely drawings). The squid recipes include:
- Squid with Tomatoes and Peas, Tuscan Style
- Fried Calamari
- Squid and Potatoes, Genoa Style
- Stuffed Whole Squid Braised with Tomatoes and White Wine

And this one:

Squid with Porcini Mushroom Stuffing

1 oz Dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted
The filtered water from the above mushroom soak
4 Whole squid with sacs measuring 5 inches in length, not including the tentacles
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/3 cup fine, dry unflavored bread crumbs
Extra Virgin olive oil: 1 tbsp for stuffing plus 3 tbsp for cooking
Darning needle and cotton thread or strong round toothpicks
1/2 cup dry white wine

1. Thoroughly rinse the reconstituted dried porcini in several changes of cold water, then chop them very fine. Put them in a small saucepan together with the filtered liquid from their soak, turn on the heat to medium high, and cook until all the liquid has boild away.

2. Prepare the squid* for cooking (by removing the skin, the legs, and the contents of the sac and rinsing thoroughly and patting dry) and chop the tentacles very fine.

3. Put the chopped tentacles in a bowl together with the mushrooms, several grindings of pepper, salt, the garlic, parsley, bread crumbs and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix thoroughly with a fork until all the ingredients are uniformly blended.

4. Set aside 1 tbsp of the mixture and divide the rest into 4 equal parts, spooning it into the squid sacs. Stuff the sacs and close them with needle and thread or with toothpicks. If any stuffing is leftover, add it to the stuffing already set aside.

5. Choose a saute pan that can accomodate the squid in a single layer. You can squeeze them in tightly because they will shrink. Put 3 tbsp olive oil in the pan and turn the heat to high. When the oil is very hot, put the squid in. Brown them all over, add a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper, the white wine, and the stuffing mixture you had set aside. Quickly turn the squid once or twice, turn down the heat to cook at a very slow, intermittent simmer and cover the pan.

6. Cook for 45 minutes or more, turning the sacs from time to time. The squid is done when it feels tender when gently prodded with a fork.

7. Transfer to a cutting board, let settle a few minutes, then cut into 1/2 inch thick slices and arrange on a platter.

8. Add 1 to 2 tbsp water to the pan, and boil it away while scraping loose all the cooking residues from the pan. Spoon the contents of the pan over the squid together with any juices left on the cutting board, and serve at once.


*my note: there is a much more detailed set of instructions than what I have given here in parentheses; you can also have your fishmonger http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif clean the squid for you

[This message has been edited by valchemist (edited 06-05-2001).]

[Gail]

Mmmm. Sounds good. Now all I have to do is find those big suckas...

PS Not to worry about cleaning (eew. eew.) I have detailed instructions as well, so it's actually finding them which will be the challenge.

Thanks for the recipes and book suggestion.

PS Where'd everyone else on this thread go?? Think maybe those tentacles got 'em?

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 06-05-2001).]

[lorilei]

Scared us all away, Gail... with talk of big suckas and tentacular beasts! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[SandyM]

Didn't Emily refer to them once as "crunchy"? I'm not so sure I could get good calimari here in Michigan, much less the baby sort. This recipe looks amazing. Maybe I'll stick with shrimp, until I can move west and really torment Gail......... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[emilycat]

Oh, no, those were little baby octopuses -- even better http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Gail]

Originally posted by SandyM:
Didn't Emily refer to them once as "crunchy"? I'm not so sure I could get good calimari here in Michigan, much less the baby sort. This recipe looks amazing. Maybe I'll stick with shrimp, until I can move west and really torment Gail......... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif


AAAAHHH!!!! She's after me again!

[SandyM]

Tentacles schmentacles. I need to branch out. Now I'm on a quest.

Fear not, Gail. I'm mostly harmless.