Clint Eastwood’s Spaghetti Western
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow or green bell pepper
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
3 T. vegetable oil
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup fish stock or bottled clam juice
1 bay leaf
1 t. anchovy paste
1 1/2 t. saffron threads or ground turmeric
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 large mussels in shells, scrubbed and beards removed
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
4 fresh jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 (1 ounce) sea scallops, quartered
1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 T. Pernod liqueur (optional)
1 (6 1/2 oz) can clams, drained & chop celery leaves (opt)
Sauté hallots, celery, red & yellow or green bell pepper & garlic in oil for
about 10 min. or until tender, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes & liquid,
puree, fish stock or clam juice, bay leaf, anchovy paste, saffron, salt &
black pepper to sauté vegetables. Simmer, covered, for 10 min. While
vegetable mixture is cooking, pour 1" water into 3-qt saucepan. Bring to a
boil. Add mussels in shells & cook, covered, for 4 minutes or just until
shells open. Drain. Using sharp knife, cut mussels away from shells. Reserve
12 shells & discard remainder. Rinse mussels under cold running water and
set aside. Add artichoke hearts, shrimp & scallops to vegetable mixture.
Cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or just until
shrimp turn pink. Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta
cooks continue with preparation of sauce. Drain pasta well before using.
Stir cream & liqueur into seafood mixture. Simmer, covered, for 10 min. Add
clams and mussels to sauce. Cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. To
serve, divide spaghetti among 4 large shallow bowls. Discard bay leaf from
sauce. Remove shrimp, mussels and artichoke hearts from sauce; return
mussels to reserved shells and set shrimp and artichoke hearts aside. Spoon
sauce over pasta and garnish each serving with 1 shrimp, 3 mussels, 3
artichoke hearts & celery leaves.
Serves 4.