Pad Fregene
Yes I know this title is not funny unless you are from Roma (Roma, I miss u!)
Fregene is where the Roman people go to eat spaghetti with seafood. So, in a very nostalgic moment triggered by 5 months without seeing my Italian family, and also by the amazing fact that I finally got the hot fishmonger's number and was able to ask for fish delivery, I wanted to do spaghetti with cockles. Plain simple spaghetti with cockles, white wine, parsley, and if you feel adventurous some lemon zest. Here you go, another recipe! But then I saw the cilantro in the fridge, and I decided to try and fuse my amazing Fregene spaghetti with a Thai touch. So, let's bring in the Thai-ness: lime instead of lemon, fish sauce, cilantro of course and one of those Chinese chillies that are so spicy that I am sure can cure from Coronavirus, Ebola and dandruff at the same time. The result? Just think that it has immediately become my signature dish :)
Oh god, I have reached the recipe part too fast, and let's remember that we are still in quarantine (although it seems like we are starting to see the light: on Monday morning I have reserved a table for having breakfast at Baker&co, my fav Alicante bar). What else can I talk about? My baby who cannot stop moving and is kicking the laptop on my lap? The amazing transformation of my house during the quarantine, when I become one with the paintbrush? My newly discovered passion for wavering (thank you to my parents-in-law! I love it!!)? The great Vivienne Westwood second hand "mum" bag that I bought, as my idea of maternity focuses around a large handbag capable of holding tissues (I never have tissue)? The fact that thanks to Coronavirus I have to learn how to give birth ON YOUTUBE?
PAD FREGENE (SPAGHETTI WITH COCKLES THAI STYLE)
serves 4
500 gr spaghetti
2 kg cockles
2 garlic cloves in slices
1 mortal Chinese chilli, sliced
cilantro
3 cm of grated ginger
Thai fish sauce
3 limes
oil EVO
Open the cockles in a pan with some oil EVO. Peel them (except a handful for decoration). In a pan, put the EVO oil, garlic, chilli and ginger and fry until golden. Add lime juice and 4-5 spoons of fish sauce. Meanwhile, boil the pasta until the spaghetti bend (2 minutes top), add to the pan along with the cockles and start adding the water where you boiled the spaghetti, one big spoon at time, until the spaghetti are ready (10-ish minutes). At the very end, add the chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
