Recipe: Spaghettini with Chopped Shrimp and Scallops in Rich Broth

SPAGHETTINI WITH CHOPPED SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS IN RICH BROTH

3 ounces medium shrimp in their shells
5 ounces fresh scallops
1/4 cup water (plus 1 tablespoon, as needed)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic
1 small fresh hot pepper
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups water
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound dried spaghettini (very thin spaghetti)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Peel shrimp, reserving shells. Carefully devein shrimp and coarsely chop them. Coarsely chop scallops and combine them with shrimp and 1/4 cup water in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse on and off to finely chop but don't create a puree. Add another tablespoon of water if mixture becomes sticky. Cover, and set aside in refrigerator while you make the broth.

Start the broth, or fumet, by heating olive oil in a large straight-sided saute pan. Add reserved shrimp shells, onion, garlic, and hot pepper. Saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes until onions have softened and shells have turned deep pink.

Add wine to the pan and reduce until you have 1/4 to 1/3 cup left in the pan.

Add 4 cups water and boil vigorously to reduce until you have about 3 cups of liquid left. Strain fumet through a fine sieve into another large saute pan. Add tomato and bring to boil. Taste and add salt if necessary. Set aside over very low heat and simmer gently while you cook pasta.

Bring at least 5 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Generously salt water and drop in spaghettini. Cook, stirring often, until pasta is almost al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to fumet. Fold in chopped shrimp and scallops along with butter and parsley. Simmer just until the spaghettini is al dente and the seafood is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve right away.

Serves 4 as a main course
Source: On Top of Spaghetti by Johanne Killeen and George Germon