The Recipe for Linguine Pasta with Mollusks

When swimming in the sea in the morning we picked up many shells from the seashore rocks. These gastropod mollusks are called patella. There are about 200 species of them in the world. They often go unnoticed by a casual onlooker because they merge with the color of the rocks. They stick tightly to the rock surface and can be pried off with a knife only. Patella looks like a cone with a tapering top and a wide base.

These mollusks live and feed in the tide zone where tiny seaweeds abound. Their taste is like that of snails. They are good for tasty sea-flavored sauces that go with pasta. If you can’t get your hands on these mollusks, of course you can use some other kind.

Ingredients for Linguine Pasta with Mollusks

• 0.6 lb linguine
• 1.1 lb or so patella
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• a few sprigs of parsley
• 5 oz or ¾ glass dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt, pepper or Aromatic Olive Oil: to taste

Recipe for Linguine Pasta with Mollusks

1. Brush the shells and wash in running water.

1. Pour some olive oil into a deep frying pan, warm it and fry finely chopped garlic. Put in the shells.

1. Warm them up and stir until all the mollusks come apart from their shells.
2. Turn down the heat and take all the shells out of the pan. Leave in the pan just pulp.

1. Turn up the heat to medium and pour in the wine.
2. Wait until it evaporates; add tomatoes cut into pieces and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. In about 5 minutes turn off the heat.

1. Pour 2.5 mugs or 15 glasses water into a pan, boil, add salt and boil linguine on high heat until all’dente.
2. Turn pasta out onto a colander, then put into the pan with the sauce. Mix and serve at once.