Pappardelle with Seafood Cream Sauce
This might be the Italian answer to Seafood Newberg: chunks of crab and clams in a rich cream sauce tossed with wide noodles. If you really like clams, it’s worth checking to see if you can buy fresh chopped cooked clams at your fish market; the pieces tend to be a little bigger and meatier, with a more subtle, briny flavor than those in cans. The cream sauce is tinted a pretty pink from the tomatoes.
Recipe information
Yield
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Step 2
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until the shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the cream, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. The sauce should begin to thicken.
Step 3
Add the crab, clams, and tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the pasta and toss. If necessary, add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water at a time to create a more luscious sauce. Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates and sprinkle with the chopped chives.
