Ayoub AagourSEAFOOD PASTA

Makes 4 to 6 servings

It was only after I’d committed to enough seafood to feed ten that I thought

to ask the fishmonger’s wife what to do with it. I’d gone to my usual fish

stand in my Paris neighborhood and said that I had pasta for a crowd in

mind. I was thinking about something based on butter, white wine and

herbs, but Madame suggested I start with slow-cooked squid in tomato

sauce and that I shouldn’t forget a little hot pepper at the end. “It’s what we

do in Portugal,” she said. And it’s what I did and continue to do, although the

fish changes according to what I can get. These days I’m likely to cook squid

rings (most often bought frozen and sliced when they’re still a little icy) and

then add chunks of a firm fish, like monkfish, swordfish or tuna, and shrimp.

It’ll take an hour or so to simmer the sauce — you’ll want to go slow for the

sake of the squid — but it bubbles away merrily without your having to do

much. You can also do this part ahead, making it a dish that’s good for

parties, which is how it all started.

For the clam juice, look for a brand that includes only clam juice and salt.

Finally, choose your crushed tomatoes carefully — I like San Marzano

tomatoes here.

I like long pasta for this dish. I usually use spaghetti, linguine or fettucine,

but I’m always happy when I can get something fanciful, like mafaldine —

it’s the pasta that’s in the photo.

You can multiply this recipe as much as you’d like — I’ve more than

halved it from my original. And feel free to stray as far as you’d like from my

suggestions for the seafood and fish, but try to get squid. It’s a big-bang

choice: You get a lot of flavor and texture for not much money and very little

effort.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped, rinsed and patted dry

2 garlic cloves, germ removed (see sidebar) and finely chopped

Fine sea salt

¼ cup (60 ml) white wine or dry vermouth

1 pound (454 grams) cleaned squid, cut into ¼- to ½-inch-thick rings and patted dry

One 14½-ounce (411-gram) can crushed tomatoes (see headnote)

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 cup (240 ml) clam juice (see headnote)

¾ pound (340 grams) long pasta (see headnote)

¾ pound (340 grams) firm fish fillets (see headnote), cut into bite-sized pieces

12 to 16 large shrimp (more if they’re small), peeled and deveined

Crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 to 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (optional)

Chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives and/or tarragon, for serving (optional)

WOR K I NG A H E A D

You can get the squid and sauce done a couple of hours or up to a day ahead;

refrigerate it if you’re keeping for more than 2 hours.

Warm the oil in a large skillet or deep sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add

the onion and garlic, season lightly with salt and cook, stirring, until the

onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat up a little and pour in the wine.

Cook, stirring, until it almost evaporates and then stir in the squid. Reduce

the heat to low, season the squid lightly with salt and cook, stirring often, for

5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, herb sprigs and clam juice and increase the

heat just enough to bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the skillet (use a

baking sheet if you don’t have a lid), turn the heat down low and let the squid

cook, stirring only occasionally, for 30 minutes, until it is tender.

Remove the lid and simmer for another 20 minutes or so, again stirring

now and then, until the sauce has reduced by about one third. Remove the

herb sprigs. (You can cover the pan and set the sauce aside for up to 2 hours, or

refrigerate it overnight; bring to a simmer before continuing.)

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

At this point, everything comes together quickly, so be prepared to have the dish

on the table in less than 15 minutes. Make sure the sauce is at a simmer and, if

you chilled it, that the squid is hot.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and set the timer for al dente.

Drop the fish pieces into the sauce. Then, 4 minutes before the timer is set

to ring, add the shrimp and some pepper flakes — go easy, you can add more

at the table. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of the pasta water, mix it together with

the tomato paste and blend it into the sauce.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it, shaking off as much water as you can.

Turn the pasta out into the skillet (if your skillet isn’t large enough, turn the

pasta out into a large bowl and stir the sauce into it) and stir to coat all the

strands. Taste for salt and pepper flakes and add the butter and the lemon

zest and juice, if you want some tang. Scatter over the chopped herbs, if

using, and serve immediately.

S TO R I N G : This is a dish to be enjoyed as soon as it’s made, but if you’re the

kind that likes to nibble on cold leftover spaghetti, I won’t stop you.