So I was totally pissed after I took these photos of this dish BECAUSE- the whole freakin’ point of the dish was for me to do a seafood pasta with LEMON RICOTTA and smoked bacon. And what do you friggin’ know- those were the two ingredients I left in the fridge and completely forgot. As we ate our pasta- I just kept grunting and grumbling about how pissed I was I left out those two ingredients. So- Aaron suggested I make some kind of toast dish with the lemon ricotta and then I calmed down whilst day dreaming of what I was going to create with it. (I pretty much love anything with the word “toast” in the name of the dish. Or when it’s referring to bubbles.
I wanted to keep this dish light and summery- and to make something that we could cook in the cast iron skillet in the grill. Perfect summer ingredients= white wine, lemon, fresh herbs, swiss chard, capers and mussels! If you include the peas for this dish, I recommend you add them in last thing- nobody likes an overcooked, mushy pea (unless you’re a British grandpa). I think if we make this again I’ll opt out on the peas and sub in some smoked bacon!
We chose to use Bucatini (also known as Perciatelli) in this recipe because we wanted to try a type of pasta we’ve never had before. Bucatini looks similar to spaghetti- except they are a bit thicker and have a hole that runs down the middle the length of the noodle. These were great- chewy and soaked up the white wine sauce- I would definitely use them again. If you can find fresh pasta, of course I recommend that. But for the sake of ease, we just grabbed some that was boxed. You should be able to find at your local grocer- this recipe used Barilla brand.
As a side note- Aaron and I collaborated on this one! I prepped all the ingredients and Aaron fired up the grill. Cooking together is one of our favorite things to do as a couple! If you like bourbon, beer and BBQ- follow him on instagram: @aequitas_veritas_81
Also- can I tell you guys how much I LOVE grilled bread? I’ve also used the rest of this loaf in my next recipe post- so I hope you’re read to fill up on gluten! This bread came fresh from the bakery and is simply rubbed with olive oil and tossed on the hot grill. It was especially great with a little squeeze of lemon and dipped in the sauce on the bottom of the skillet.
- 1 lb bucatini
- 1 lb seafood mix (we used mussels, clams and shrimp)
- 1.5 c Julienned Swiss chard
- 1/4 c halved grape tomatoes
- 1 c peas
- 1 shallot- sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 6 julienned basil leaves
- 1 tsp lemon zest plus juice from one lemon
- 1 whole lemon, halved to grill
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 1 loaf fresh bread plus olive oil to drizzle it with
- 1 cup white wine (I used Chenin Blanc- I recommend something dry/citrusy- not sweet)
- 1/2 Tbsp capers
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Prepare grill and let it heat up. We use a Weber charcoal grill.
- Boil Bucatini in salted water according to directions. Most directions will say 9 minutes. Do not overcook as you will add your pasta to the hot skillet and don't want it to turn to mush once heated again.
- Drain pasta, rinse with cold water and toss with olive oil to prevent the noodles sticking together.
- Set aside.
- On the grill, place the cast iron grill over direct heat.
- Add butter and olive oil to the skillet.
- Add shallots, garlic and tomatoes, simmering for a few minutes until shallots soften and begin to brown.
- Add seafood, and Swiss chard.
- Simmer until mussels begin to open. (If any of them don't open, remove them and throw them away).
- Toss in your pasta.
- Now also add your bread slices surrounding the skillet, directly on the grill.
- Now your pasta is almost done- add white wine, capers, lemon juice and zest, and peas.
- Let simmer for a few minutes so the wine reduces and remove from heat.
- Add salt and pepper and fresh basil to garnish.
- Squeeze your lemon half over the pasta and bread right before serving.
- Stuff your face.
- If you're feeling frisky- add a hard cheese (I would recommend a hard cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiano) and bacon or Proscuitto!
- We paired this with the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc that we used in the recipe. It's light and crisp with hints of grapefruit and pear. You can get it at the grocery and it's priced reasonably!
