Ingredients
Fish broth
½ each fennel, carrot,onion, roughly diced
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Italian chilli paste
1 tbsp whole fennel seeds
100ml dry white wine
1/2–1kg fish frames, bones or heads
1.5L water
Prawn shells, reserved from peeling prawns
To serve
500ml fish broth
400g large king prawns, peeled, deveined, chopped into roughly 1cm pieces
320g dried campanelle (or casarecce, or conchiglie)
100g butter, large diced
½ bunch Thai basil, picked
5 tbsp chilli oil
5L water
50g salt
Recipe by Michael Portley
Photography by Shannon Wappet
Method
1. For the fish broth: Pre-heat oven to 200°C.
2. Place fish bones and diced veg in a heavy baking tray.
3. Place prawn shells in a separate roasting tray.
4. Roast for 15 minutes until veg and fish are cooked and lightly caramelised (prawn shells should be bright red).
5. Decant fish and veg into a pot large enough to contain all ingredients. Keep prawn shells aside.
6. Deglaze fish roasting tray with wine, tip into pot and top up with water.
7. Bring to a simmer, reduce to low heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.
8. Tip prawn shells into broth. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.
9. Pour broth through a fine strainer. You should have about 600–700ml of finished broth.
10. Fill a large pot with 5L water and 50g salt. We recommend using noodle baskets that clip on the edge of the pot, for quick and easy removal of pasta from cooking water. Place lid on top and turn to high heat.
11. Pour fish broth into a frying pan large enough to fit all ingredients. Turn to high heat and reduce by half.
12. When your large pot is up to boil, drop in pasta and stir. Follow packet instructions for cooking times, but always check a minute earlier.
13. When pasta is cooked but still has some bite, drop chopped prawns into water, stir, and after 15 seconds, remove noodles and prawns from water.
14. Drop noodles and prawns straight into your pan of broth. Allowing a little pasta cooking water in the mix is always a good idea.
15. Turn pan to high, constantly tossing pasta through broth. Add all butter and allow sauce to thicken. When the broth and butter are coating the pasta, turn off heat.
16. Add in Thai basil and toss through pasta. Arrange pasta onto serving bowls, and top with chilli oil.
Wine Match
Barbera
Merlot