Home

Sweet Sea Paccheri

17/11/2023

Sweet Sea Paccheri is a dish that combines the robust and substantial pasta of paccheri with a flavorful seafood-based sauce, likely enriched with a touch of sweetness. Given that this is not a traditional dish that is widely known, and “sweet sea” could be a creative name for the dish, I can propose my personal interpretation of the recipe. Let’s see it together.

Ingredients

  • 320 g of paccheri
  • 400 g of mixed seafood (for example, mussels, clams, shrimp, squid)
  • 200 g of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 glass of dry white wine
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Chopped parsley to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar (this is the “sweet” element that could be interpreted as “sweet sea”)

Preparation

  1. Start by cleaning the seafood: for mussels and clams, let them purge in salted water and then scrape them with a brush. For shrimps and squid, clean them and cut the squid into rings.
  2. Cook the paccheri in plenty of salted water following the cooking times indicated on the package, but draining them al dente.
  3. Meanwhile, take a large pan and fry the garlic in extra virgin olive oil. When it’s golden, remove it and add the seafood.
  4. Deglaze with the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
  5. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until they start to break down.
  6. Add the sugar, which will bring that touch of sweetness, mix well, and let a light sauce form.
  7. Drain the paccheri and transfer them to the pan with the seafood sauce, tossing them to flavor and combine them with the sauce.
  8. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley before serving.

Note: The touch of sugar balances with the acidity of the tomatoes and the savoriness of the seafood, so it should be added cautiously to avoid an excessively sweet dish.

Curiosity

The use of sugar in cooking, not only in sweets but also in savory dishes, is a tradition in some world cuisines, such as the Asian, where sweet and savory often balance perfectly in the dishes.

I hope this interpretation of the recipe aligns with what you were looking for. Enjoy your meal!