Prawn and tomato linguine with anchovy pangrattato
One thing in life that is almost guaranteed is that if you ask my husband what kind of pasta he’d like, he’ll likely say some sort of seafood sauce. I guess I have this fact in mind whenever I develop a recipe like this - which is comprised of a lovely fragrant tomato sauce made all the better through cooking it down with a prawn head stock, finished with a salty, crunchy anchovy pangrattato.
To make it, we start by obtaining some beautiful prawns. In Australia we are blessed with gorgeous seafood, and prawns are practically part of Aussie culture. If you’re based in Brisbane I will let you know that you should probably make your way to the Fish Factory in Murarrie - my go-to for buying any seafood and worth the 20 minute drive there and back.
Once the prawns have been procured, all you need is a can of good tomatoes, some aromats to make a stock, and of course my beloved salty tinned fishy friends for the pangrattato.
Initially I was just planning to make a simple tomato sauce with prawns when I was trialling this dish, but as I was de-shelling and cleaning those bad boys, I thought what a waste it would be to not utilise the heads. So into a pot they went with celery, carrots, half an onion and some garlic. A few ‘erbs, tom paste and water. Simmer away for an hour and you have yourself a gorgina stock ready to be worked into linguine bliss.
The making of this sauce is sort of treated like a risotto - I like to start with a typical pomodoro base, and slowly ladle in the stock intermittently, allowing it to reduce and intensify in flavour over time. I believe the longer you can dedicate to this sauce the better, however in a pinch you could rush this and still yield a good result.
Finally, we come to the pasta. I made this with linguine because is there a better long pasta to pair with seafood? I love a good, bronze die extruded, store bought linguine but naturally I wanted to find a way to make it fresh. Being a typically extruded shape, this didn’t leave me much hope for doing this at home without speciality equipment, until I realised Marcato offer a linguine cutting attachment for the Atlas 150. Huzzah!
Prawn and tomato linguine with anchovy pangrattato
Serves 4
Ingredients
Linguine
300g semolina rimacinata
110ml warm water
Spray bottle filled with water
Fine semolina, for dusting
NB: if you’re planning to use dry linguine, allow 400g
Prawn and tomato sauce
Extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
1 whole dried chilli (you can also use fresh if you prefer)
Bunch of parsley, stalks and leaves separated
1x 400g can San Marzano tomatoes
Prawn stock (see below)
500g whole prawns (choose whatever is best and local to you) - de-shelled, cleaned, meat roughly chopped and heads reserved
Prawn stock
Reserved prawn heads
1 carrot
2 celery sticks
1/2 brown onion
A few garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato paste
A few sprigs of parsley
Anchovy pangrattato
1 ciabatta roll
6 anchovy fillets
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
Linguine - this is a very low hydration recipe and it can be difficult to work with compared to a normal 50/50 hydration dough. Patience and understanding that this dough will be dry and need multiple rests is key.
On a work surface, add the semolina flour and create a well in the centre. Slowly drizzle in the warm water and whisk until you have a custard-like consistency.
Switch to a bench scraper and start to flip the flour from the outer edge over and onto the water mix, using a cutting motion to then mix it in. Continue to do this around all sides until you have a crumbly, sand-like mix. Rest the dough for several minutes.
Start bringing the crumbly dough together with your hands, squeezing and coaxing it in a ball of dough that’s knead-able - scraping up and incorporating as much loose flour from your work surface as possible. You may need to rest the dough again during this process.
Once you have this shape, begin kneading the dough vigorously for a good 10 minutes until the dough is springy and elastic, and not sticking to your hands at all.
Cover and rest for 60 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces - work with one at a time while keeping the rest covered.
Roll to setting 3, then set the sheet aside to dry for 10-15 minutes. Continue with the other pieces of dough so they can all dry at the same time.
Switch to the linguine attachment, pass each sheet through the cutter and dust generously in fine semolina to ensure the strands don’t stick together.
Allow the linguine to dry a little before cooking to ensure a nice texture once cooked - ideally at least one hour.
Prawn stock
Add the prawn heads and all of the other ingredients to a small saucepan.
Add enough water to cover then place over a medium heat.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover the pan.
Cook for 60 minutes, strain the liquid and set the stock aside until ready to use.
Anchovy Pangrattato
Cut the ciabatta roll in half and toast in a dry pan on either side.
Place into a blender or Nutribullet and blitz until you have a fine crumb.
In the same pan, heat a the olive oil and anchovy fillets until they start to break down into a paste.
Add the breadcrumbs into the pan and stir to coat in all of the oil/anchovy mix.
Toast on a medium heat, stirring often, until golden and crunchy.
Set aside until ready to use. Once cool, I like to place into an airtight Tupperware with a piece of kitchen paper in there.
Prawn and Tomato Sauce, and Finishing Touches
Heat olive oil in a sautéuse pan (or similar) and add the garlic cloves, chilli and parsley stalks - allow these to gently sizzle and infuse the oil.
After several minutes, add the tomatoes - the pan will splutter so be careful!
Stir the tomatoes to combine with the oil base, then start to add some of your prawn stock by the ladle, letting it cook down and reduce gently. Typically, I add about 3 ladles of stock - you may have some leftover. Use your best judgement on how much to add, tasting as you go. The texture should be a little jammy but not dry. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil for your linguine.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions if using dry. If made fresh, cook for 4-5 minutes assuming you’ve allowed the linguine to dry for a couple of hours. Test a strand as you go to ensure the linguine is al dente.
Right before the linguine is done, remove the garlic, chilli and parsley stalks from the pan.
Stir through the prawn meat, a handful of chopped parsley - check the seasoning is to your taste - then add the linguine directly to the sauce, taking with it some of its cooking water.
Toss to marry, serve family style or individually. Top with anchovy pangrattato, and enjoy!
