Strozzapreti
Shrimp, Clams, Shishitos
Strozzapreti or “The Priest Choker” originates in the Emilia-Romagna/Tuscany area of Italy where it was formed by hand as an elongated version of a cavatelli. The legend is that when this form of pasta was served to a bunch of priests, they loved it so much that they would eat it so quickly that they would choke on it. This pasta’s geometry has what I like to think of as a good nook to cranny ratio, allowing sauce to coat both the inside and outside of each bite.
Since this strozzapreti was made with cuttlefish ink, this recipe focuses on combining the rich flavors and techniques of the northern landlocked regions with the ingredients of the coastal towns in Emilia-Romagna. The addition of shishito peppers helps to brighten up the whole dish balancing out the brine from the shrimp and clams. One bite and you will agree this is a dish worth choking on.
Servings: 4 - Time: ~20 mins. - Difficulty: 1 - Itsa Easy
Ingredients & Mise en Place
17.6 oz. cuttlefish ink strozzapreti
1 lb. shrimp - cleaned, shelled, and cut into thirds
12 oz. canned chopped clams* - rinsed and picked for shells
8 oz. shishito peppers - chopped into ½ inch slices
4 garlic cloves - roughly minced
1 cup heavy cream
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
Note:
This sauce elements of this recipe take roughly the same amount of time to cook as the pasta. If your pasta is done before the rest of the components, that’s ok, just strain it and set aside - just make sure you save a cup of pasta water - you might need it if the sauce thickens too much.
Directions
Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add pasta, give it a stir and cook according to the package for al dente. Roughly 8-9 minutes for dry strozzapreti.
Place a medium sauce pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and the garlic. Stir until fragrant - about one minute. Add the heavy cream and lemon zest and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it thicken for about 6 minutes.
Place a deep sauté pan on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Once hot add the shishito peppers and cook until fragrant - about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and once they have begun to turn pink add the chopped clams. Stir for another 1-2 minutes and then add add the cream sauce.
Once the pasta is al dente, add it to the sauce and stir to combine for about a minute and then immediately remove from the heat. Serve and mangia!
*Tip:
Canned seafood is like most ingredients, when it’s good it’s damn good, and when it’s bad you wish you never tasted it. So if you can, don’t skimp and get some of the good stuff imported from Spain (the kings of canned seafood) or up near New England. You may have to chop them yourself, but it’s worth the effort. Or you can go completely fresh here too, but during a global pandemic my sources were limited.