Hokkien Western Fusion Prawn Pasta

*in collaboration with San Remo

I like the idea that San Remo has established a theme for this collaboration - "Because We All Want the Best for Our Family!" This' my maiden experience cooking in a theme specific plus product specific style in any collaboration and I'm loving it! Because of my love for my family, I was banging on cooking a communal dish which every family member could just dig in and have fun together at the dining table! I wanted it to be a one pot dish so that nobody (including myself) would be left behind in the kitchen preparing other dishes while the rest are eating. In my family, my 80-year old parents adore local and Chinese dishes whilst my husband and I enjoy Western. It could be tricky to cook for all at the same time. This yummy Hokkien Western Fusion Prawn Pasta's well received by all! The Hokkien Western Fusion Prawn Pasta's really a melting pot of flavours where not only the East meets West, but tantalising to our tongues in a cohesive manner. Imagine....having cheesy and creamy pasta infused in tasty rich prawn heads broth that we traditionally use for Hokkien Prawn Mee! Then bake the entire pan at high temperature for the smokey touch, especially so for the seafood! Plus the pork lard, the sambal chili or/and chili flakes, together with squeezed lime juice! It's just KAbooooom lah! 

Flavours aside, we all know how sinful it could be when a dish is laden with cream, cheese and lard. I just couldn't the temptation once in a while. Because We All Want the Best for Our Family, I had no hesitation to use quality ingredients and that included San Remo's gluten free  penne. It's not only gluten free, but dairy free, egg free and 98% fat free! 

This Hokkien Western Fusion Prawn Pasta's no fine dining dish. In fact, it's rustic in presentation and flavours! I even prepared a set of banana leaves to be used on everybody's serving plate! It's this rustic charm that reminded me of our family! No frills, rustic yet comfortable. And that's how our family connects!

Main Ingredients (enough for 4 pax) :

• 12 mid sized prawns (deveined but keep heads and shells intact)
• 2 squids/sotong (cleaned and cut to rings)
• 1 box San Remo's Gluten Free Original Penne (about 300 to 350 gm)
• 4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
• 1 cup cooking cream
• 1 cup grated/shredded mozzarella cheese
• a dash of chili or cayenne powder (to marinate seafood)
• parsley flakes (for garnishing)
• salt and sugar (to adjust to taste before serve)
• 2 to 3 tbsp pork lard oil or other cooking oil (cut pork lard to small cubes)(blanched and deep fried to extract lard oil 猪油)(set aside deep fried crispy pork lard croutons 猪油渣 as condiments) or use other cooking oil of your choice
• 4 limes (cut to halves)(to be served as condiments)
• sambal chili (to be served as condiments)
• chili flakes (to be served as condiments)

For Simplified Prawn Heads Stock Base 

(Click here for instructions to cook a large pot to keep in stock)

• 1 box prawn heads & shells (lunch box size)
• 250 ml homemade or store bought chicken stock
• 500 ml water
• 1 pc ikan bills stock cube
• 5 ginger slices (crushed)
• 5 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1 mid-sized onion (diced)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 star anise
• 2 orange peel (available at Chinese medicinal halls)
• 3 bay leaves
• a dash of fish sauce (or to taste)
• a dash of chili or cayenne powder (or to taste)
• salt and sugar (to adjust to taste accordingly)
• cooking oil (for browning and aromatics)

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon)    

Method : 

1. Marinade seafood with a dash of salt, sugar and chili/cayenne powder for 30 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat a little oil and lightly sauté all aromatic ingredients (i.e. ginger, onions, garlic, cinnamon stick, star anise, orange peel, bay leaves)  in soup pot at medium heat till aromatic. 
3. Add prawn heads and shells into the pot and sauté till fragrant. 
4. Add chicken stock and water into soup pot, cover lid and allow to simmer at medium heat till boiled.
5. Upon boiling point, turn to low heat and continue to simmer for 45 to 60 minutes or to your satisfied richness. 
6. Adjust with salt, sugar and seasonings to your desired taste. 
7. Remove scums and strain stock. Set aside.
8. In a saucepan, add penne pasta to boiling water (not cold or warm water). Add a little cooking oil (so that pasta would not lump together) and a pinch of salt. Allow pasta to cook and rid excess starch for 1 minute at low-medium heat. At this stage, pasta is not softened and still inedible. Drain and set aside. 
9. Pre-heat oven at 230C.
10. Heat pork lard oil (or other cooking oil) in pan at medium heat. Toss in garlic slices and sauté till fragrant. 
11. Fold in seafood, pasta, prawn heads stock and cooking cream. Lightly stir and turn off heat immediately. Allow pasta and ingredient to be 3/4 immersed in soup mixture. 
12. Drizzle mozzarella cheese generously atop. 
13. Bake whole pan in oven for 10 to 15 minutes or till all ingredients are cooked with cheese melted and slightly browned.
14. Remove from oven, taste test and adjust with salt and seasonings to your satisfaction. At this stage, pasta should be al dente, seafood would be cooked with smokey touch and broth's still moist and rich underneath. 
15. Garnish with parsley flakes and serve hot immediately with deep fried crispy pork lard croutons, cut limes, sambal chili or/and chili flakes. Best served on banana leaves for the South East Asian tropical touch. 

Note : 

*Do serve immediately after removal from oven. As the pasta's still immersed in broth, cream and cheese,the longer the wait, the more soggy the pasta would turn. My plate of pasta turned slightly soggy after a 15 minutes photoshoot session for the dish whilst my family members enjoyed the al dente ones. 😂😂😂

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