Guys, It Was Such a Beautiful Day Today - Cooking Spaghetti Marinara Outdoors!

Guys, It Was Such a Beautiful Day Today - Cooking Spaghetti Marinara Outdoors!

Imagine a perfect day filled with sunshine and fresh air. The last thing you want is to be stuck indoors, especially in the kitchen. Well, I have an exciting solution for you! Today, we're taking the kitchen outside and preparing a mouthwatering dish of spaghetti marinara.

Spaghetti marinara is a delectable seafood pasta made with the finest, locally sourced ingredients. And guess what? We're adding mussels to give it that incredible, authentic sea flavor. Trust me, you're going to fall in love with it!

Let's get started, shall we? First, we need to boil some water. Take a whole chili, split it in half, scrape out the seeds, and finely chop it. Set it aside for now. Also, wash and finely chop some fresh flat-leaf parsley. Keep it aside too.

Once the water is boiling, add a generous amount of salt. Now, cook your pasta until it's almost al dente. While the pasta is cooking, let's prepare the seafood. I have these beautiful, fresh scallops. If they are large, cut them in half width-wise. If they are small, no need to worry, just skip this step.

When it comes to the mussels, it's important to clean them thoroughly. Give them a good scrub to remove any dirt and beards. Alright, let the cooking commence!

Heat up a pan with some olive oil over high heat. Now, add some prawns or shrimps, and let them sizzle. You want them to develop a nice sear on each side. This is where all the incredible flavor comes from. No need to cook them all the way through just yet. Set them aside as different seafood cooks at different rates.

Next, let's work with some anchovies. Place them on a cutting board and give them a rough chop. Now, back to the same pan on high heat. You might need a little more olive oil. Add the capers, the chopped chili, the chopped anchovies, and some minced or chopped garlic. Mix everything together and let it cook until it starts to brown.

Once it starts to brown, quickly deglaze the pan with white wine. It adds a wonderful depth of flavor. Now, add some marinara sauce. You can either buy it or make your own using my recipe. Mix it all up, and then add the mussels. Give everything a good stir and let it cook for three minutes with the lid on.

It's time to bring back the prawns and add the scallops to the pan. Gently mix everything together, ensuring all the flavors mingle harmoniously.

By now, your pasta should be cooked to perfection. Drain the pasta, but remember to reserve a small amount of the cooking water.

Add the drained pasta to the pan with the seafood and sauce. Toss it all together, allowing the pasta to absorb the flavors of the marinara sauce. If the sauce seems a bit thick, don't worry. You can add a splash of the reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.

Continue cooking for a couple more minutes until the seafood is cooked through, and the flavors have melded together beautifully.

Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the finely chopped flat-leaf parsley over the pasta. Give it a final toss to incorporate the parsley.

Voila! Your outdoor-cooked spaghetti marinara is ready to be devoured. The combination of fresh seafood, tangy marinara sauce, and al dente pasta will tantalize your taste buds.

Enjoy this delightful dish while basking in the sunshine and relishing the outdoors. It's a perfect way to celebrate a beautiful day!

Remember, good food and good weather make for an unbeatable combination. Happy cooking and happy eating!