Life & Style
Pasta & fish? Not an easy combination
„Except for spaghetti with vongole,“ says Marina Hofmann of Bianchi AG. Otherwise, it takes a bit of finesse.
February 8, 2019
Interview: Isabel Notari Photos: Lucia Hunziker, Geri Born, StockFood
Marina Hofmann, does every fish go with pasta?
A difficult topic. First, you have to distinguish between pasta filled with fish, egg pasta, or durum wheat pasta.
What needs to be considered with ravioli, tortellini & co. – i.e., filled pasta?
The pasta is usually very intense, so the fish or crustacean in the filling never comes through as much as it deserves. That is why I do not find salmon or lobster ravioli particularly exciting. But of course, that is a matter of taste.
Marina Hofmann likes mussels with pasta.
Another top combination: paccheri with crustaceans.
Which pasta-fish combination do you personally like best?
Durum wheat pasta with crustaceans. And regardless of whether spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni are used, the pasta must definitely have bite. The fish or seafood may then have its big moment in the sauce. But fish is generally difficult with pasta, because it falls apart quickly. Visually, I therefore find it more decorative to place a whole fish fillet on the pasta – and not cook it in the sauce.
Your favourite pasta with seafood?
Paccheri! They are large, thick tubes. This pasta from Apulia is sensational with seafood and crustaceans. Unfortunately, you do not find it very often here in Switzerland. A plate of paccheri with half a spiny lobster on top, the pasta dressed with a little tomato – amazing. Another wonderful dish is pasta al cartoccio (in a parcel). For example, spaghetti ai frutti di mare al cartoccio. It is lovely when the aluminium foil or parchment paper is only opened at the table, right in front of the guest. The aroma that escapes is incredible! Pure sapore del mare! You feel as if you are by the sea – even at home in your living room.
So what goes into the classic spaghetti frutti di mare?
There are no rules. Every Italian mamma probably has her own recipe. A crustacean certainly makes the dish special. But whether prawns or spiny lobster is a question of appearance. Squid also works wonderfully. And of course, mussels.
Fish is forbidden?
Yes, because as the name suggests, this popular dish consists of seafood.
Bianchi’s fish specialist likes vongole with thick spaghetti.
Which spaghetti size is ideal – rather thin, or even bucatini or picci?
In principle, spaghetti with vongole is usually prepared with thin pasta. However, I personally prefer the thicker varieties because the sauce simply clings much better and binds better.
An unforgettable pasta recipe with seafood that you have enjoyed?
Spaghetti with a green curry and moules sauce. The mussels were cooked very briefly in the curry and not sautéed in the pan and deglazed with white wine.