Spaghetti alla Pirata

Be the first to rate & review!

According to Pino Luongo, this seafood pasta, popular along the Mediterranean coast, was invented in the fishing village of Porto Santo Stefano.Plus: More Seafood Recipes and Tips

By Pino Luongo

Updated on March 8, 2017

Spaghetti alla Pirata — Photo: © Luca Trovato

Yield:

4 to 6

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 pound cockles or Manila clams, scrubbed
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups canned tomato puree
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound cleaned small squid, cut into 1/2-inch rings
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup torn basil leaves

Directions

In a large flameproof casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the mussels, cockles and wine. Cook over high heat, stirring, until some of the shells are open and the liquid has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, crushed red pepper and a pinch each of salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the squid, return the sauce to a boil and cook just until the squid is firm and opaque, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, reduce the heat to moderate and simmer for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the seafood to a platter. Boil the sauce until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain. Stir the spaghetti into the sauce and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Return the seafood to the pasta and toss well. Transfer the spaghetti to plates, garnish with the basil and serve.