# Seafood Pasta Sauce Question



## Buffwannabe (Feb 23, 2006)

Hey guys, Im sure you guys are pretty familiar with me, and my question is in regards to seafood pasta. For those of you who live in the chicago area, its well known for having great italian restaurants. I was watching this show called "CHECK PLEASE" on channel 11 WTTW chicago, and they were showing the best of italian. They showed a variety of seafood pasta with clams, mussells, scalops, oysters, and it looked absolutley delicious. I wanted to know what is the 1 thing in common with all seafood pasta sauce? Most seafood pasta sauce is composed of these general ingrediants:

-butter
-garlic
-olive oil
-heavy cream
-white whine
-seasoning
-fish stock

My question is in regards to fish stock, and seasoning. What type of seasonings are used in making the seafood pasta sauce? If i wanted to use musells in my pasta dish, and i boiled the mussells, could i use that water as some sort of mussell stock for my pasta sauce? 

One thing that i will not put in my seafood pasta is cheese. NO CHEESE WHATSOEVER. I would love to hear what you guys think, and ur recipes. Thanks for all your help!


----------



## ironchef (Feb 23, 2006)

Buffwannabe said:
			
		

> Hey guys, Im sure you guys are pretty familiar with me, and my question is in regards to seafood pasta. For those of you who live in the chicago area, its well known for having great italian restaurants. I was watching this show called "CHECK PLEASE" on channel 11 WTTW chicago, and they were showing the best of italian. They showed a variety of seafood pasta with clams, mussells, scalops, oysters, and it looked absolutley delicious. I wanted to know what is the 1 thing in common with all seafood pasta sauce? Most seafood pasta sauce is composed of these general ingrediants:





			
				Buffwannabe said:
			
		

> -butter
> -garlic
> -olive oil
> -heavy cream
> ...




The seasoning, besides salt, is most likely just red chili flakes, lemon, and Italian parsley. You don't have to use fish stock. Easiest way is to steam the mussels in a saute pan with the butter, olive oil, garlic, white wine, clam juice, lemon juice, and the chili flakes. Add the heavy cream and your fish, shrimp, scallops, etc. and cook it until the seafood is done. Season to taste with salt, toss with the parsley and the pasta and serve.


----------



## mish (Feb 23, 2006)

Hoping I understand the question correctly. How about: tomatoes (or tomato paste), garlic, oregano, parsley and basil?  And a little wine?  Where I'm going with this is mussels marinara.


----------



## Haggis (Feb 23, 2006)

> One thing that i will not put in my seafood pasta is cheese. NO CHEESE WHATSOEVER.


 
And that's how it should be. The same goes for a pasta sauce whose main ingredient is garlic.


----------



## RDG (Feb 23, 2006)

Buffwannabe said:
			
		

> My question is in regards to fish stock, and seasoning. What type of seasonings are used in making the seafood pasta sauce? If i wanted to use musells in my pasta dish, and i boiled the mussells, could i use that water as some sort of mussell stock for my pasta sauce?
> 
> One thing that i will not put in my seafood pasta is cheese. NO CHEESE WHATSOEVER. I would love to hear what you guys think, and ur recipes. Thanks for all your help!


 
The most used seasoning are generally garlic and parsley, and white wine, if you consider it a seasoning. Sometimes basil, if you are doing a dish with added tomatoes. Then, of course, you can use everything you like.
Regarding to mussels, the consideration about stock is more correct for a risotto dish, than for a pasta one. You can use mussels with tomatoes, but, with clams f.i., no tomatoes is generally added: only garlic, pepper and parsley. We call it a "white clams" sauce, and, generally, only a particular type of clams is used. I don't know the corrispondent in english, but here they are called "veraci" (_true, sincere_), and have two little horns, distinguishing them from the others.
About cheese.....WHY shoud I have to add cheese in fish sauce?  . Only few types of sauces are completed with cheese, and they are generally made a) with tomatoes b) with very tasting fish (herrings, anchovies - again! -codfish, dried cod). 
I beg your pardon. ...it's only a curiosity..... It's the third time I hear that in Italy we eat cheese with fish....We do certainly have many recepies with cheese and fish, but they are an exception. And only for fish cakes or similar. Why do you think so? Thank you for your kindness.....


----------



## Chopstix (Feb 23, 2006)

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the humble onion as an ingredient for any clam/mussel dish.  I have this tried and tested French recipe for steamed mussels that calls for finely chopped onion, parsley, butter, white wine, S&P.


----------



## urmaniac13 (Feb 23, 2006)

RDG said:
			
		

> About cheese.....WHY shoud I have to add cheese in fish sauce?  . Only few types of sauces are completed with cheese, and they are generally made a) with tomatoes b) with very tasting fish (herrings, anchovies - again! -codfish, dried cod).
> I beg your pardon. ...it's only a curiosity..... It's the third time I hear that in Italy we eat cheese with fish....We do certainly have many recepies with cheese and fish, but they are an exception. And only for fish cakes or similar. Why do you think so? Thank you for your kindness.....


 
Sometimes we add tuna in our sugo for pasta, and the first time I did this with Cris he was rather taken aback when I was about to pour grated parmigiano on it. He told me then in Italy cheeses are usually omitted with any pasta dishes with seafood. Since then I learned to have the tuna sugo (also vongole) without, instead with chopped fresh prezzemolo (flat leaved parsley) and it is delicious this way, too. Personally I like it both ways but I try to respect the tradition. At the end of the day it all depends on what you are used to, or your personal preference, many people like cheese with everything includes fish, just like there are people who like to drink red wine with fish or white wine with meat, though the general conception is the other way around. Also so called "curry" made in chip shops in Britain or by Japanese are horribly different from authentic Indian curry, but many people heartily enjoy them. There is no solid rule about what is "right" or "wrong" in culinary art, as long as they enjoy what they create or eat, and at the same time they recognise and understand the difference between their version and the authentic recipe and not confuse one with each other...


----------



## Constance (Feb 23, 2006)

I've heard the same thing from Mario Batali...no cheese with seafood pastas. He says it detracts from the delicate flavor of the seafood.
I do like a little fresh grated parmesan on mine, though...but then, I'm not Italian. Nor do I have access to all that wonderful fresh seafood.


----------



## Buffwannabe (Feb 23, 2006)

Yes I forgot about onions as being one of the ingrediants.

So far from what i have heard:

Seasonings: salt, pepper, parsley oregeno

What about Old Bay seasoning? Does that sound good?

I am still confused about the fish stock.  Can I purchase shrimp stock or mussell stock? How about clam stock? Could I use that for my seafood pasta?


----------



## RDG (Feb 24, 2006)

Buffwannabe said:
			
		

> Yes I forgot about onions as being one of the ingrediants.
> 
> So far from what i have heard:
> 
> ...


 
Sorry, may be I've not understood...excuse me for the question....  Old Bay....what is? May it be the name of a Whisky? In this case, I don't know if it is a "seasoning", but a "flavour", sure, it is. Over all, on shrimps: very good.
About stock of fish, I don't know if you can buy it. In every way, we don't use stock in pasta dishes: we only use for making RISOTTO dishes. I beg your pardon f I've not well understood what you mean.....


----------



## buckytom (Feb 24, 2006)

as in all things italian, and italian american, eating, and therefore cooking are very individual experiences. each region to it's own, upon each family to it's own, upon personal preference. this describes italian cooking to it's essence. after all, you are the only one who knows if you made something good from fresh and prefferably local ingredients , and you certainly are the only judge of your own, and your family's tastes:from what you've learned and experienced. (the reality of the present time of your life being the variable mistress here, but i diverge...)

cheese and fish is generally considered a no-no on the larger levels because you are adding something salty and strongly flavored which would overdo or compete with the delicate flavors of fish, but there are exceptions. see my entries for linguini alla vongole and rdg's recipe for swordfish and scamorza roll rollatinis for example. 

btw, i agree with chopstix about onion, but then there's different types of and different ways of adding onion, as well as garlic (raw, sweated, browned). 

think of every ingredient in a seafood dish as you would if you were adding very hot pepper to your dish. you really don't want the big flavors of onion, or garlic, or cheese, or hot pepper as i've mentioned, but if you can add them in such a small and proper way so they form a layer underneath the fish without competing with it, then you may go for it.

adding and tasting, re-tasting and adjusting are the keys to going from crawling to running, to flying.

btw, rdg, old bay seasoning is a widely known combination of dried herbs and spices in the u.s., and in my opinion over used. lots of paprika, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and celery seed. but in keeping with my filibuster, it can be added in extremely small amounts to the benefit of the dish.


----------



## RDG (Feb 25, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> btw, rdg, old bay seasoning is a widely known combination of dried herbs and spices in the u.s., .


 
ooooooooopps.......


----------

