Best Pasta Paella With Clams Recipes

WEEKNIGHT SEAFOOD PAELLA

Steps:

• Clean the clams and soak in cold water for 20 minutes.
• Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and season with 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice and Old Bay.
• Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Add 1 teaspoon of oil and sauté the chorizo, onions, garlic and paprika until soft, about 3 minutes.
• Push aside, add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in the center and add the rice, stirring to coat with the oil. Sauté 3 minutes.
• Add the diced tomatoes, broth, salt, saffron threads (crumbled between fingers) and bay leaf.
• Mix and bring to a boil, stirring once, place the bell pepper over the rice, reduce heat to low and cover tightly, cook 15 minutes. Uncover, add the clams, shrimp and peas.
• Cover tightly again and cook on low heat until the clams open up and the shrimp are cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Uncover the skillet, raise the heat to medium-high and cook to toast the bottom of the rice, you should hear it sizzling, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Discard the bay leaf and garnish with parsley.

SEAFOOD PAELLA

Steps:

• Peel and devein the prawns/shrimp then pat the shrimp and calamari dry with paper towels.
• Place a large, deep pan (approximately 11-12inches/30cm) over high heat. Drizzle the calamari and shrimp with olive oil and season with salt then sear in the hot pan until a little color develops but the seafood isn't cooked fully yet.
• Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, add olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Pour in the rice and smoked paprika and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour in the stock then reduce the heat, partially cover and allow to simmer for 7-10 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is almost cooked.
• Tuck in the seafood, trying not to disturb the bottom layer of rice. Cover again then cook for another 5-7 minutes until the seafood and rice are fully cooked.
• Season to taste and serve with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

PASTA PAELLA WITH ORZO

Steps:

• In a covered pot, steam clams and mussels with white wine until shells open, about 5 minutes. Strain and reserve broth.
• Meanwhile, fill a stockpot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add salt and orzo and boil for about 8 minutes. Carefully drain in a colander (the orzo can slip through colander holes if they are too big).
• Heat oil in a large skillet or paella pan over moderate heat. Add onions and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 2 minutes to release aromas. Stir in bell peppers, chiles and tomatoes and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Stir in shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pinkorange, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add peas, saffron, oregano, coriander and reserved broth from mussels and clams. Simmer for a few minutes.
• Stir in orzo and heat through, adding clam juice or fish stock as needed to make a soupy texture. Stir in clams and mussels. Adjust seasoning.
• To serve, spoon hot paella into serving bowls and serve immediately.

PASTA PAELLA WITH CLAMS AND SPICY SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cut zucchini and tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and keep vegetables separate. Chop onion and mince garlic.
• In a heavy kettle heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté uncooked pasta, turning occasionally, until golden, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer pasta to a bowl. In oil remaining in kettle sauté zucchini with salt to taste, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes, and transfer to another bowl. Squeeze sausage from casings into kettle and add onion and garlic. Sauté mixture, stirring and breaking up sausage, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, and wine and bring to a boil. Add pasta and clams and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes, or until clams are opened and pasta is al dente. (Discard any unopened clams.) Stir in zucchini and parsley and cook until heated through.

PAELLA WITH CHORIZO, SHRIMP, CLAMS AND CHICKEN WITH GARLIC AIOLI

Steps:

• For the paella: Add the chicken stock, saffron threads and shrimp shells to a medium saucepan and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, coat the paella pans generously with olive oil. Add the chorizo, dividing it between the two pans. Set the pans over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the chorizo is crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken to the pans and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is beginning to brown, but isn't cooked all the way through.
• Add the garlic, celery, onions, peppers and tomato to a food processor and pulse until chopped into a coarse paste. Add to the paella pans and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated and the veggies are soft and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add about 1/2 cup of the stock to each pan and stir, making sure to scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pans. Season to taste with salt. Add about another cup of the stock to each pan, then bring the liquid to a boil.
• Add the rice and stir until thoroughly combined. Nestle the clams into the rice and cook for 5 minutes. Nestle the shrimp into the rice and simmer until the shrimp are pink and cooked through and the clams have fully opened, 5 minutes.
• For the aioli: Meanwhile, add the vinegar, garlic and egg yolks to a food processor and process until combined. With the machine running, slowly add the oil to emulsify the mixture. Season to taste with salt.
• For serving: Garnish with the chives and a drizzle of aioli.

PAELLA OF THE SEA

Steps:

• Combine the chicken stock, white wine, clam juice, 1 cup water and shrimp shells in a large pot. Add any onion peelings or vegetable scraps left from preparation. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, then strain, return the liquid to pot and set aside.
• While stock cooks, prepare the secret flavor weapon. Heat the sherry in a small pan until it is just beginning to simmer, then remove from the heat. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and set aside.
• Build a medium-hot fire in grill (when ready, you can hold your hand about 6 inches above the grill for only 2 or 3 seconds).
• Prepare the relish. Rub the scapes with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill until just toasty, about 2 minutes a side. Remove from heat and chop roughly. Combine the scapes with the remaining olive oil, pine nuts and lemon zest, mix well, and set aside.
• Put 1/2 cup olive oil in a paella pan or 20-inch camp skillet. Put over the fire and heat until hot but not smoking. Add the pork butt and sausage and brown lightly on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and half the stock mixture, bring to simmer, then add the rice and the Secret Flavor Weapon. Stir well to combine, then smooth it out to an even layer (you should have just a layer of liquid between 1/4 and 1/2 inch on top) and allow to come back to a slow simmer.
• Push the shrimp and clams down into the simmering mixture so they are covered by the liquid, being careful not to stir the mixture. Move the pan just enough to the side of the fire so the liquid continues to simmer slowly. Add liquid as needed to maintain that very thin visible layer for 20 minutes, but do not move the rice around. After 20 minutes stop adding liquid and continue to cook until all visible liquid is absorbed and rice is tender but not mushy, from 5 to 15 minutes. Remove from fire, lay peppers on top, spoon on the Garlic Scape Relish and serve.