Seafood Strozapretti & Shishitos
Strozzapreti or “The Priest Choker” originates in the Emilia-Romagna/Tuscany area of Italy where it was formed by hand as an elongated version of a cavatelli. The legend is that when this form of pasta was served to a bunch of priests, they loved it so much that they would eat so quickly and then choke. This pasta’s geometry has what I like to think of as a good nook-to-cranny ratio, allowing sauce to coat both the inside and outside of each bite.
Since this strozzapreti was made with cuttlefish ink, this recipe focuses on combining the rich flavors and techniques of the northern landlocked regions with the ingredients of the coastal towns in Emilia-Romagna. The addition of shishito peppers helps to brighten up the whole dish balancing out the brine from the shrimp and clams. One bite and you will agree this is a dish worth choking on.
The Recipe
Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 mins.
Cook time: 15 mins.
Difficulty: Easy
Special Equipment:
N/A
Notes:
The sauce elements of this recipe take roughly the same amount of time to cook as the pasta. If your pasta is done before the rest, that’s ok, save a cup of pasta water, strain, and set aside. You can thin the sauce with the pasta water if needed.
Ingredients & Mise en Place
• 17.6 oz. cuttlefish ink strozzapreti
• 1 lb. shrimp - cleaned, shelled, and cut into thirds
• 12 oz. canned chopped clams* - rinsed and picked for shells
• 8 oz. shishito peppers - chopped into ½ inch slices
• 4 garlic cloves - roughly minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
Preparation
01.
Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add pasta, give it a stir and cook according to the package for al dente. Roughly 8-9 minutes for dry strozzapreti.
02.
Place a medium sauce pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and the garlic. Stir until fragrant - about one minute. Add the heavy cream and lemon zest and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it thicken for about 6 minutes.
03.
Place a deep sauté pan on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Once hot add the shishito peppers and cook until fragrant - about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and once they have begun to turn pink add the chopped clams. Stir for another 1-2 minutes and then add add the cream sauce.
04.
Once the pasta is al dente, add it to the sauce and stir to combine for about a minute and then immediately remove from the heat. Serve and mangia!
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