Seafood Marinara Pasta

Seafood Marinara Pasta, Photo by PH Morton

This seafood marinara was so delicious.  Made more memorable by the ambiance of the place, where we had it.  It was in Valletta, Malta overlooking a clear blue sea.  The place was packed with tourist but the staff remained polite and friendly but more specially, efficient.

The food was a sea on a plate, gorgeous.

Seafood Marinara Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to toss
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 x 410g cans plum tomatoes, chopped
• 500g spaghetti or linguine
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped finely
• 300g black mussels, washed, de-bearded
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 pound uncooked shrimps, shelled
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

First of, cook the pasta, whether using a linguine or spaghetti, according to the packet’s instruction.  To ensure that the pasta won’t stick to the pan, add a drop of oil to the boiling water.  When the pasta is cooked, drain well using a colander.

Heat the olive oil using a large sauce pan over medium heat.

Stir in the garlic and onion; cook until the onion had softened and turned translucent, usually about 5 minutes.

Add the chopped plum tomatoes. Heat for a couple of minutes and then add the tomato paste, oregano, and thyme. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in mussels and shrimp, then pour in the wine and lemon juice.

Cover and increase heat to high.

Cook until shrimp have turned pink and mussels have opened, discarding any that have not opened.

Serve the pasta with a pretty sprinkling of chopped parsley and some freshly baked bread with a dip of extra virgin olive oil.