If you’re short on time try this simple pasta dish from Valencia. It’s full of fresh seafood and rich, tangy spices.
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
2 tsp smoky paprika
½ tsp saffron threads
1 red capsicum, deseeded and diced
400g can diced tomatoes
3 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
200g spaghettini, broken into 3cm lengths
16 green prawns, peeled and de-veined
3 baby squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
500g thick white fish fillets, 3cm cubes
2 tbsp olive oil (extra)
1 slice white bread
3 tsp toasted pinenuts
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 lemon, finely grated rind and 2 tbsp juice
2 garlic cloves (extra)
1 Put 1 tbsp oil and onion in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Add garlic, chilli, paprika, saffron and capsicum. Stir until well combined. Add tomato and stock. Bring to the boil. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once, until almost all liquid has evaporated.
2 Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add prawns and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Cook squid for 1 minute and transfer to plate. Cook fish for 2 minutes and transfer to plate. Add seafood to pasta and cook for 1 minute. Serve immediately with picada.
3 To make picada, heat oil (extra) in a frying pan over medium heat. Add bread and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Cool and break into pieces. Process bread in a food processor with pinenuts, parsley, lemon rind and juice and garlic (extra) until a thick paste forms.
