CIOPPINO PASTA

Serves 4

Here, pasta adds heartiness and soaks up all the flavor and aromatics typically found in the classic cioppino tomato broth. Fewer fish in the mix makes the ingredient list easier to shop for (and easier on your wallet). This pasta doesn’t call for crab, but if it’s a must for you, try swapping out some of the mussels and all of the shrimp to accommodate the crustacean.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

• 1 cup finely chopped fennel (save the fennel fronds for serving, if desired)

• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

• Salt and pepper

• ½ cup dry white wine

• 15 to 20 mussels, scrubbed and rinsed

• 4 large peeled, tail-on shrimp

• 1 skinless white fish fillet (about 6 ounces) such as black cod, true cod or halibut

• 4 anchovies, preferably packed in olive oil, finely chopped

• ¾ teaspoon chile flakes, plus more for serving

• ¾ teaspoon ground bay leaf or chopped fresh thyme (or both)

• 1 (24 ounce) jar tomato sauce

• 1 cup clam juice

• 12 ounces penne rigate or penne

• Chopped herbs for serving, such as parsley, dill or fennel fronds

Instructions: Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter; once the butter is melted, stir in the onion, fennel and garlic. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until the onions, fennel and garlic are very soft and starting to turn lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Pour in the wine, then add the mussels and shrimp; cover with a lid and cook until the mussels have opened and the shrimp are pink and just-cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer both to a plate. Place the white fish fillet in the pot, cover with a lid and let simmer and steam until just-cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. While the fillet is cooking, peek into the pot and take out any cooked loose fish flakes and turn the fillet over once to help it cook evenly. When the fillet is cooked, transfer it to the cooked-fish plate

Stir the anchovies, chile flakes and ground bay leaf into the simmered fennel and onion mixture; then stir in the tomato sauce and clam juice. Add the pasta, stirring very well to coat and submerge each noodle. Cover with the lid again and simmer the pasta, lifting the lid often to stir the noodles so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If needed, add water, about ¼ cup at a time, to make sure the sauce doesn’t thicken too much and prevent the pasta from cooking evenly. The consistency should be very saucy, but not soupy. When the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Flake the white fish fillet and stir it into the pasta along with the mussels and shrimp to coat them well.

Transfer the cioppino pasta to bowls, drizzle with more olive oil, more chile flakes, if desired, and the chopped herbs.

Serve immediately.