Shellfish with Saffron Fettuccini

If ever there were a seafood that Julia and I could chow down on at any time, it would be mussels. Readily available, easily prepared, low in cost and high in flavor, these little creatures have been just the thing for us on many occasions. In fact, during one vacation in the Canadian Maritime Provinces, we had completely missed lobster season, but felt amply rewarded for being there when mussels were plentiful and cheap.

This version is similar to many you would find at an Italian restaurant as it is done in a tomato based sauce. But, as you know by now, I am not afraid of pork, so the recipe is dressed up with some andouille sausage. The saffron fettuccini goes a long way in enhancing the ‘seafood’ flavors of the dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh mussels
• 1 pound fresh steamer clams
• 1 pound smoked spicy andouille sausage
• 2 12 ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
• 8 ounce package crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 sprig fresh sage
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 400 grams (9/10ths pound) white flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

Start by making the pasta. This is very easy with a pasta machine – much less so if done by hand. Soak the saffron threads in 1/2 ounce of water, until they are soft and the water is a brilliant yellow. Place the flour and eggs in a food processor, and then add the water containing the saffron. Process the dough until the ingredients are well incorporated, and the dough looks like bread crumbs. Empty the dough into a bowl, and knead it with your hands until it is a smooth dough ball. The dough should not stick to your hands, nor should it be ‘flaky’ after kneading. It it is sticky, work a little more flour into it; If it is too dry, add a little water and work it in.

At this time, if you are using a pasta roller, process the dough as recommended to flatten it out, then process with the fettuccini cutter. If you are doing this without a pasta machine , well, get ready! On a well floured surface, roll out your pasta dough, a bit at a time into flat sheets, about 1/16 inch thick. Slice the sheet carefully into fettuccini noodles, about 3/16 inch wide. Don’t worry about being perfect, as a rustic look is just fine, but try to make the noodles the same thickness, so that they cook evenly.

Regardless of how you end up with the pasta (and yes, sometimes you can find saffron fettuccini in your market), hang it to dry, at least one hour.

Cut the andouille sausage into a 1/4 inch dice, and brown it a large skillet,over medium heat, until most of fat is rendered out. When done, drain the sausage on paper towels and reserve.

In the same large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the sliced mushrooms and diced onions, until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are browned. While still hot, add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, and the 10 garlic cloves, whole. Do not worry about an over-garlicy flavor, since the cloves are whole.

Add the salt and sugar and stir into the tomatoes. Lay the sage and thyme sprigs on top of the mix, cover, and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Uncover, remove the sage and thyme sprigs, add the reserved sausage back in,  add the last 2 tablespoons of butter, and simmer on medium-low heat to reduce the liquid in the pan by about 1/4. When that has happened, reduce heat back to very low, cover and let it rest.

In a large pot with boiling salted water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cook your pasta. It should take about 8-10 minutes. Do not over cook it. With about 5 minutes to go on the pasta, add the mussels and clams to the skillet, and turn the heat up to medium. Cover the pan, and allow the shellfish to cook.

Drain the pasta and place in large bowls. When the shellfish are opened, and done to your taste (I like mine medium), spoon the shellfish/sausage/tomato mix over the pasta, and serve hot. Crusty bread in almost a necessity when serving this dish !