Pasta with Cilantro Cream Seafood Sauce
Submitted by kdlpmum
Fettuccine with cilantro cream seafood sauce: shrimp and steamer clams tossed in a vivid green cilantro-basil-ginger cream with Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsThis is an unexpected marriage of Asian and Italian techniques. Fresh cilantro, basil, and ginger get blended into a vivid green sauce, then enriched with cream and spooned over fettuccine with steamed clams and sauteed shrimp.
The sauce gets its body three ways: cornstarch whisked in raw, cream added after blending, and the briny clam steaming liquid strained in just before cooking. That steaming liquid is the secret, carrying the clams’ essence into the sauce without needing bottled clam juice.
Splitting the shrimp nearly in half lengthwise is a professional trick that lets them curl dramatically and cook in seconds. You get more surface area and a prettier plate.
Hold the steaming liquid in a cheesecloth-lined colander. Clams carry sand, and any residual grit at the bottom of the bowl gets left behind instead of ending up in your sauce.
Chef Tips
- Purge the clams in salted cold water for 20 minutes before cooking. This removes hidden sand that even careful scrubbing won’t catch.
- Refrigerate the blended sauce at least 30 minutes before cooking. The flavors meld and the cornstarch fully hydrates.
- Cook the pasta just shy of al dente. It continues cooking a bit when dressed with the hot sauce, and overcooked fettuccine goes slack and mealy.
- Don’t skip the red pepper flakes. That thread of heat keeps the creamy sauce from going flat.
Variations
- Swap fettuccine for linguine or even soba noodles for an even more Asian lean.
- Add sliced scallops or chunks of lobster tail along with the shrimp for a more luxurious version.
- Replace cilantro with parsley for a more Mediterranean take if you’re among the cilantro-averse crowd.
Ingredients
Directions
Scrub the clams and refrigerate.
Shell, devein, and split the shrimp nearly in half lengthwise.
In separate containers, set aside the pasta, oil, and cheese.
To make the sauce, place all the sauce ingredients except the cream in an electric blender and blend at the highest speed until completely liquefied.
Transfer to a container, stir in the cream, and refrigerate.
All advance preparation steps may be completed up to 8 hours before you begin the final cooking steps.
Grate the cheese, about ½ cup.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil.
Lightly salt the water, then cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
When the pasta loses its raw taste but is still slightly firm, remove from the heat and drain.
Meanwhile, place a small colander lined with cheesecloth in a bowl.
Place a 12-14-inch sauté pan over high heat.
Add ¼ inch of water.
When the water comes to a rapid boil, add the clams, cover and steam until all the clams open, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Immediately tip the clams into the colander lined with cheesecloth.
Then add ¾ cup of the clam-steaming water to the cilantro sauce.
Return the empty sauté pan to high heat.
Add the olive oil.
When the oil becomes hot, add the shrimp. Stir and toss until the shrimp turn white.
Add the cilantro sauce.
When the cilantro sauce comes to a boil and thickens slightly, add the clams (but not the remaining liquid in the bowl) and combine evenly with the sauce.
Place the pasta on a heated platter or 4 heated dinner plates.
Spoon the seafood and sauce on top of the pasta.
Sprinkle with cheese and serve at once.
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