Seafood pasta

When the 10 women were polled about what they wanted for dinner, there were several people who wanted seafood  but as there were 11 of us and a couple allergic to seafood we decided to make a version of surf and turf Seafood pasta (plus a small pasta with cream sauce) and barbecued flank steak 

Unfortunately the fish store in Maderia Park was closed for the month (got to love a small town) so we were at the mercy of the IGA.  We bought two bags of large uncooked prawn, but there really was no other decent seafood. luckily there was some haddock fillets in the freezer left over from the summer so we defrosted them. This is what was available but it would have been great if we had some scallops as well and just about any other seafood would do.

Seafood ready to cook

This fed 11 with left overs
1 large onion finely chopped
2 bags of frozen prawns prawns
3 haddock fillets chopped in to large chunks
2 tablespoons of olive oil (I used some from the garlic confit)
2 cloves of garlic (again I used garlic confit)
10 large tomatoes
1/2 cup of white wine
handful of fresh basil shredded.
2 boxes of Penne

Peel the prawns and place the shells in a small pot with about 2 cups of water. Put the pan on to simmer and simmer until the water has reduced down to about 1/2 cup of concentrated prawn flavour.

Getting as much flavour as possible out of those prawns.

While the prawn shells are giving up of their goodness, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until it is transparent.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they are collapsed down. Then add the wine and the prawn reduction.

The sauce after the tomatoes have cooked down but before it has reduced down.

Now simmer the sauce until it has concentrated down and tastes good.  Then add salt and pepper.  Cook the pasta and when it is ready drain.

Add the seafood to the sauce along with the basil.  Stir though to cook the seafood it will only take a couple of minutes then add the pasta and combine.

Serve topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

We did not have long to marinate the flank steak so I just splashed them with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and rubbed some crumbled rosemary salt and pepper on them. They sat in this for about 3 hours.  Then we barbecued them until medium rare. They rested for 5 to 10 minutes and were sliced against the grain.

Mountain of flank steak

This steak was delicious with the pasta that night and equally good the next day in a tortilla wrap along with the some left over rice and beans and cheese.

Christine and Debbie made a wonderful salad of arugula with a dressing containing honey, amongst other things and topped with candied pecans.  It was delicious but that is all I can tell you as I was busy with the pasta and dancing and drinking wine.

Very delicious salad with no recipe

Since there were so many of us we decided to lay the food out buffet style to save all that passing around.  we had a great meal, though 11 women sure can make a lot of noise when they get going.  This picture below looks much calmer than it actually was, there was music blaring and 11 women talking at once. Love girls weekends.

Deceptively calm quiet dining room