Special Seafood Saffron Pasta Recipes

PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, SHRIMP AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Place the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Working in batches, brown the zucchini rounds in the hot oil until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop the rounds out of the pan with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Repeat until all the zucchini is cooked.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, combine the stock and saffron in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Set aside.
• Place the skillet in which the zucchini has cooked back over high heat. If there is less than 1 tablespoon of oil remaining in the pan, add a bit more. When the oil is very hot, add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they are just cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock, basil and butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss quickly over low heat until combined. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan on the side.

PASTA WITH SAFFRON SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS

Steps:

• The day before the party, make the base for the pasta seafood topping. Melt the butter in a skillet. When the foaming subsides, add the shallots, carrot and celery. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until very tender and almost dissolved in butter. (If at any time the vegetables begin to stick to the skillet, add a tablespoonful of water or wine.) Uncover the skillet, add the saffron and white wine and boil over high heat until almost all of the wine has evaporated. Add the fish stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (do in advance up to this point.) Boil the pasta until al dente. While this is cooking, add the heavy cream to the skillet and simmer again until the sauce is slightly thickened. Add the shrimp and scallops and simmer just until the seafood is cooked through. Add the tomatoes and simmer just for a minute to warm them through without really cooking them. Adjust the seasoning. Drain the pasta and portion it out among 6 warm pasta bowls. Ladle the saffron seafood sauce over the top and garnish with warm microwaved peas.

TAGLIATELLE WITH SAFFRON, SEAFOOD, AND CREAM

Steps:

• Soak the saffron in the white wine. Add a little oil and the garlic to a frying pan, and cook until softened. Add the clams and mussels, shake the pan around, and add the white wine and saffron mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until the shellfish opens, discard any shellfish that remain closed.
• Then, lay the rest of the seafood, parsley, and the cream on top. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes and season to taste. Cook the tagliatelle in salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain and add to the fish, serve scattered with some of the leftover parsley and an extra drizzle of olive oil.