How to do the white sauce (dressing) to spaghetti frutti di mare ( fruits of the sea)?

Question

I hae eaten it in a restarant but i hae no idea how to do the dressing

Answer 1

I would make a roux by heating equal parts butter and flour, maybe 4 teaspoons each. after browning it up in a pan for 3 minutes stirring constantly,I would pour in some fish stock and stir, then add cream and a pinch of lemon zest at the end. you could season this sauce with sherry, salt, white pepper, garlic, onion powder, old bay seasoning...I don't know how your restaurant made it but this should get you 3/4 of the way there. the fish stock can be made by boiling together a small portion of the fruits of the sea you are serving with the dish,and reserving the liquids.

Answer 2

Hey its much better with a red sauce... but then I am allergic to Mushrooms, and my partner is allergic to butter.

To cook the pasta, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over a high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook it until it is al dente, about 12-15 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

12 mussels, in the shell
12 baby clams, in the shell
4 oz scallops
4 oz green prawns or shrimps
3 fl oz extra virgin oil
1 Tbs. chopped garlic
1½ lb. ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes
4 Tbs. white wine
1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaved parsley
1 fresh red chili, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper


To make the seafood sauce, remove beards from mussels and soak them in salted water for 10 minutes. Check that they are closed and discard any that are broken or open. Remove the coral from the scallops. Remove the shells from the prawns, keeping the tails intact. Make an incision along the back from the head to the tail and remove the vein. Wash them well.
Pour the oil into a large frying pan or skillet and sauté the garlic over medium heat for a minute. Add the tomatoes, wine and the parsley and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered, until the sauce is reduced, about 15 minutes.
Add the clams and the mussels to the sauce and, as they start to open, add the prawns, scallops and the chili. Season and cook for about four minutes. Keep warm.
To serve, toss the sauce through the warm spaghetti, stirring in the extra parsley. Serve the spaghetti in heated shallow bowls.

The sauce is great with just Mussles, in which case you will need about a Kg (2lbs 4oz), and if you do not want the fire or red look - then replace the chillie and tomatoes with a small glass of cream and Mushrooms, but add the cream at the very end as it curdles. Alternativly you can use a roux as the thickening agent -

1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
Salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, as desired

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk together over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, to make a white roux. Do not allow to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool nearly to room temperature.
Add hot milk to the roux and whisk to combine. (This will also work with a hot roux and room temperature milk.)
Add the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, and heat till just simmering.
If desired, you may bring the sauce to a boil; once the béchamel sauce has come to a boil, lower the heat to low and very slowly simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir it every so often to avoid sticking to the bottom (a whisk is appropriate here). Do not allow the sauce to brown. The longer the sauce is simmered, the smoother it becomes due to the cooking and swelling of the starch grains.