Spicy Linguine with "Three Fishes"

And, a heartfelt grazie mille

Dec 20, 2023

In early October, Chad and I were invited to a dinner at the newly opened Roscioli in New York City, where we had the pleasure of meeting Antonio Rummo of Pasta Rummo. The dinner was hosted by Antonio to celebrate the spirit of Spaghettata di Mezzanotte (AKA midnight pasta). What is Spaghettata di Mezzanotte you ask? It is the Italian tradition of making pasta tossed with ingredients such as garlic, anchovies, capers and breadcrumbs after getting home from a late night out. Yes, please!

At some point during the night, I chatted with Antonio about the Feast of the Seven Fishes, which I’ve been celebrating since I was born and is my favorite eating day of the year. He wasn’t all that familiar as it's a very Italian-American holiday, but he was intrigued. If you’re not familiar with this blessed day, families celebrate Christmas Eve by having a multi-course, day-long eating extravaganza with, you guessed it, a menu that includes seven fish. It is the most fun and trying to get all seven fish in before midnight is always a game of creativity. And, I am always up for the challenge!

There is of course, always a pasta served at these meals, and given that I’m crazy for Rummo pasta, I was thrilled that Antonio generously granted me the opportunity to create a dish with Rummo for this year’s feast. It includes mussels, clams and shrimp, so you’re almost halfway there. It’s very good… Also, if you’re GF, Rummo make THE BEST on the market. I’ve had it and it’s really that good.

In addition to this pasta dish, I’ll be serving Dungeness Crab with Aioli, Scallop Crudo and Dan has ordered us some caviar from Pearl Street Caviar. In fact, if you use the code “MHT” at checkout, you’ll get a lovely caviar discount on your order! That’s a gift courtesy of my friend, writer and photographer Michael Harlan Turkell - thank you, Michael!

If you too are celebrating Feast of the Seven Fishes, please drop what you’re making in the comments! I’d love to hear. Feel free to drop anything in the comments actually - I really love reading them.

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In closing, this will be our last newsletter of the year. I am so proud of the lovely community we have built here in our small corner of the internet. You went crazy for beans, got passionate about my first Ask me Anything (more to come in 2024!), and provide me with a safe and welcoming place to be vulnerable. I truly am so grateful to you all and excited for what’s to come.

In the meantime…

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Spicy Linguine with "Three Fishes"

Serves 4 to 6

Time 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound Rummo linguine

1 dozen littleneck clams

1 pound mussels

½ cup white wine

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Calabrian chili paste or 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes

¾ pound large shrimp

2 tablespoons, finely chopped Italian parsley

METHOD

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until it is al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain.

Meanwhile, steam the shellfish. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the mussels and the clams and pour in the white wine. Bring to a simmer and cover, shaking the pan occasionally. When the mussels and clams start popping open, remove them and place in a bowl, about 7 to 9 minutes total. Discard any that do not open.

Wipe out the pan and heat the olive over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Calabrian chile paste and cook for 1 minute more. Add in the tomatoes and cook until they become jammy, pressing down with the back of a wooden spoon, if needed, about 9 to 11 minutes. Season with salt.

Stir in the shrimp until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the reserved shellfish back to the pan and toss until warmed through.

Add in the pasta and a bit of pasta water and toss until everything is well combined and the pasta is glossy with sauce, adding more pasta water as needed.

Transfer to a platter and garnish with the Italian parsley. Serve in bowls.