March 16, 2005|By Julie Rothman | Julie Rothman,SPECIAL TO THE SUN
Dottie Crow and her husband of Pismo Beach, Calif., enjoyed a pasta dish with shrimp, mussels and chopped tomatoes that was served to them while they were visiting the Carmel Mission Inn. She was hoping someone would have a similar recipe that she could prepare at home.
Carl Covington from Boonville, Mo., apparently did some Internet research and sent in several versions of shrimp and mussels over pasta. The recipe he submitted for Fettuccine Provencal With Mussels and Shrimp seemed to most closely resemble what the Crows are looking for.
This seafood dish is grand enough to serve to company yet simple enough to prepare anytime, particularly in winter when fresh mussels from the Atlantic Ocean are at their peak of quality.
Fettuccine Provencal With Mussels and Shrimp
Makes 4 servings
16 ounces fettuccine
1/4 cup olive oil
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
20 fresh mussels, cleaned
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Cook fettuccine according to package directions. In a large saucepan, heat oil; saute shrimp until just cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove shrimp and set aside. To remaining oil in saucepan, add onions and garlic; saute until tender.
Stir in wine; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add tomatoes, basil and red pepper flakes, if desired; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add mussels, cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until mussels open. Discard those that have not opened.
Return shrimp to saucepan; heat through. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss fettuccine with mussel mixture.
Note: When buying mussels, test each one individually by tapping it lightly with your finger. Discard any mussels that remain open when they are tapped. To keep mussels alive before cooking, place in a bowl, cover with wet cloth and refrigerate.
Per serving: 641 calories; 29 grams protein; 18 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 90 grams carbohydrate; 6 grams fiber; 65 milligrams cholesterol; 293 milligrams sodium
Recipe requests
Harold Lauer of Spearfish, S.D., is looking for a Coney dog sauce recipe from the A&W Drive-In from the 1960s.
Margie Peach from Baldwin is looking for a recipe for creamed spinach like the one served at Boston Market.
If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request for a hard-to-find recipe, write to Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278. If you send more than one recipe, put each on a separate piece of paper with your name, address and daytime phone number. Names must accompany recipes to be published. Letters may be edited for clarity.
