Bigoli with Shellfish, or Bigoli con Molluschi: Bigoli are thick strands of pasta, which rather resemble the strings of a contrabass. Here's a simple recipe for them from Dino Coltro's La Cucina Tradizionale Veneta. He doesn't give quantities, which means you are on your own; I've given amounts, but if your sense of proportion dictates otherwise feel free to change things.
Prep Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- See Below
Preparation:
I'd figure 2 pounds (1 k) of mixed shellfish, washed and purged (see link to instructions below) to serve 4, and a pound of pasta. No cheese, since it's generally not served with fish sauces.Begin by setting pasta water to boil, and as it heats crush two cloves of garlic. Heat them in about a third of a cup of olive oil, together with a quarter cup of finely minced parsley and basil (lightly packed). While this is happening, heat the shellfish in a broad skillet, shaking the pot repeatedly, until they've opened.
By now the pasta water should be boiling; salt it and add the pasta.
Mr. Coltro says to remove the shellfish from their shells and add them to the simmering herbs. I might remove some, but I'd be tempted to leave some of the more handsome individuals in their shells to add color to the sauce. In any case, stir the shellfish into the simmering herbs, adding a little pot liquor should things look too dry, and use the sauce to season the bigoli.
Note: if one of the shellfish fails to open upon being cooked, do not eat it! It was already dead when it went into the pot, and eating it could make you quite sick.
