Recipe

Capellini with Mussels & Clams in Rich Saffron Broth

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Capellini with Mussels & Clams in Rich Saffron Broth

Photo by Angela @ the well-worn apron

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Seafood Pasta
biffbourgeois's Testing Notes: Angela @ the well-worn apron keeps this brothy noodle dish very simple. The fragrant, rich saffron broth is wonderful with the salty mussels and clams. I only wish I had more pasta to twirl...
Angela @ the well-worn apron keeps this brothy noodle dish very simple. The fragrant, rich saffron broth is wonderful with the salty mussels and clams. I only wish I had more pasta to twirl through the delicious broth but a hunk of crusty bread works well too.

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Chef
Angela @ the well-worn apron's Notes: My son has always loved clams with pasta or in chowder and he doesn’t mind if they come from a can but we both prefer them fresh and flavorful right out of the shell. Live clams and mussels...
My son has always loved clams with pasta or in chowder and he doesn’t mind if they come from a can but we both prefer them fresh and flavorful right out of the shell. Live clams and mussels straight from the fish market allow me to whip up a special dinner quickly on a weeknight. There’s something about seeing the pile of empty shells grow as we each create our own bowl of seafood pasta. Sometimes we eat them one by one and the brothy pasta is our satisfying finish and other nights we empty every shell before we dig into the seafood, pasta and broth combination. Make sure you have a spoon to get every sip of the yummy broth. Crispy crostini or a chewy bread like Acme Sweet Batard are also great ways to soak up the broth. - Angela @ the well-worn apron

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Serves 2

1 pinch saffron Ask a question about this ingredient

2 cups seafood or chicken broth Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon butter Ask a question about this ingredient

1 shallot, minced Ask a question about this ingredient

2 teaspoons tomato paste or 1 grated roma tomato Ask a question about this ingredient

18 clams, scrubbed Ask a question about this ingredient

18 mussels, scrubbed and beards removed Ask a question about this ingredient

1/3 cup crème fraiche Ask a question about this ingredient

2 ounces Capellini, prepared following package instructions Ask a question about this ingredient

Warm the broth in the microwave, mix in the saffron and allow it to steep while the seafood is cleaned and the shallots cook.
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Melt butter over medium heat in pan or pot with a lid that is large enough to hold the broth and seafood. Add the shallots to the butter and sauté until softened then add tomato, broth and saffron. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add the seafood, cover and simmer until all the clams and mussels open, 7-10 minutes. Once most of the clams and mussels have opened discard any that haven’t opened and assemble pasta.
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Divide the pasta between two deep wide pasta or soup bowls, top each serving of pasta with half the clams and mussels. Whisk the crème fraiche into the broth over high heat until combined and heated. Pour the broth over the clams, mussels and pasta.
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