FESTIVE CREAMY SEAFOOD PASTA Healthier Indulgence, no common wheat, option for common wheat

Christmas Dinner Italian Style...

Seafood Pasta with Wine & Cream Sauce, Italian Style
'Subtle layers of flavour.  Wouldn't have tried this normally but half-fat, lower-carb is a winner.' Taster

This recipe is for households uninterested in traditional Christmas dinner but  compensating with some other utterly indulgent and delicious thing.

67goingon50 goes Italian-style with Creamy Seafood Pasta.  Seafood plays a major role in Italian Christmas dinner, as one of a series of courses, but 67's  hot Seafood Pasta is offered as a fishy alternative to turkey.  

And it is so mouthwatering and easy (and makes so much sauce!) you'll probably have it more than once over the holidays. 

To simplify life, the pasta's components are partially cooked the day before serving;  restaurant techniques are used to refresh the ingredients.  It is presented hot, with perfect textures.  

Though pasta might sound boring, this one is festive & special; it's as pretty as a Christmas tree and healthy, too.   

The rich, luxurious cream sauce is half-fat.  Plenty of vegetables reduce the carbs in each serving and add decorative pops of colour, like baubles.  Spelt spinach tagliatelle* - more greenery - suits those averse to common wheat (but any pasta in any shape or colour will work well). 

Frozen seafood makes the dish wallet-friendly (though fresh fish can be substituted - at a cost!).  

Cost: £4'ish to max ???
Serves: 2-3 but multiplies easily

Ingredients:

  generous handful per person of defrosted mixed prawns, calamari, mussels**
   
  1 fillet frozen wild salmon or white fish 

   75-115gm/3-4oz per person of spelt pasta (OR pasta made with common wheat)

   generous handful medium cauliflower florets   
   generous handful green beans, topped & tailed
   generous handful asparagus, if pockets are deep (opt)
   1/3 each red & yellow bell pepper, de-seeded and cut in fingers

OR if you can't be bothered, one package prepared Rainbow Veg*** 
   
Cream & White Wine Sauce
   28gm/1oz butter or butter & olive oil: 
    2 fat cloves garlic, coarsely grated or minced  
    1/2cup/124ml white wine/grape juice
    300mil half-fat extra-thick double cream***
    1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
    1 tbsp brandy(opt)

    zest of one lemon
    generous squeeze of lemon
    
    1/2 bunch dill fronds or parsley, finely chopped

(Leftover sauce keeps three days in fridge)

Method:

SERVING DAY MINUS 1 

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil
2. Defrost and drain shellfish; blanch one minute in boiling water, drain, place in bowl, set aside
3. Have 2 other bowls on hand 
4. Prepare a large bowl of ice water
5. Add cauliflower to boiling water; wait 4-5 mins or until nearly done; remove with slotted spoon/spider; submerge in ice water
6. Add green beans, peppers & asparagus if using, to boiling water; wait 2 mins; remove with slotted spoon, submerge in ice water 
7. When cool, remove all veg from ice water; drain; place in bowl; set aside
8. Allow vegetable water to re-boil; add pasta; wait 2 mins less than stated cooking time; remove with slotted spoon or spider; add to ice water (the pasta will not be cooked but will be immersed in boiling water a second time)
9. If salmon fillet is not in its own packet, slide into a sealed non-leakable sandwich bag; drop into boiling water; wait 5 mins
10. When pasta has cooled, drain well, place in bowl, spray with olive oil to prevent sticking 
11. Remove salmon from boiling water; add to ice water; after it has cooled, break into bite-size pieces; add to shellfish
12. When all ingredients have cooled, wrap separately in cling film and refrigerate overnight

Cream Sauce

1. Melt butter over med heat, add garlic, cook 1 min
2. Add white wine and half-fat cream; bring to a gentle boil; cook 3 mins; season generously with salt & pepper
3. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, nutmeg & brandy if using
4. If mix is thin, thicken with 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water, place over low heat until mixture thickens 
5. Take off heat; pour into heat-proof container; cover surface with cling film; cool
6. Refrigerate overnight 

BEFORE SERVING

You'll need a very large pot, a med pot, one large bowl, and warmed serving plates/bowls

1. Bring a med pot of water to boil; reduce heat till simmering; set cream sauce in an ovenproof bowl over but not touching the water; allow sauce  to reheat gently
2. Bring large pot of water to boil
3. Warm a large bowl by filling with hot water; also warm serving plates
4. When cream & wine sauce is hot, set aside a few bits of seafood for garnish and drop the rest of the shellfish/fish into the sauce 
5. Add vegetables to boiling water; leave 2-3 mins; remove, drain on paper towels & keep warm in large serving bowl  
6. Add pasta to boiling water; leave 2 mins or until al dente; drain
7. Finely chop dill/parsley; stir into cream sauce
8. Keeping aside a few vegetables for garnish; mix the rest of the vegetables into the pasta
9. Use a slotted spoon/spider to retrieve seafood from sauce; leaving a few bits of seafood for garnish, add rest to pasta and vegetables; mix gently
10. Pour over 1/4-1/3 of the cream sauce without saturating the contents
11. Garnish with remaining seafood & vegetables
12. Serve the rest of the sauce separately

Comments
'This is really lovely, full of subtle layers of flavour.  I'd normally avoid creamy sauces but this one's low-fat, and the low-carb element is a draw, too.' Writer

Tips:

1. If you prefer, gently warm the sauce in a frying pan, add seafood at last minute, then stir in pasta and veg until well coated
2. Instead of blanching the seafood, gently fry in a little butter until nearly done

*Planet Organic, health food shops, specialist delis
**Iceland Premium Seafood Collection £8'ish/700gm
***M&S  £2.50

                                                                             More fish on Nav Bar: Recipes I/Fish...

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This recipe was developed by B M Lee Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.