Wendyl's Seafood Spaghetti
Photography by Josh Griggs.
I was inspired by so many parts of Wendyl’s interview – her penchant for seafood, love of Ponsonby classic SPQR and even a vodka martini with olives!
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
300 grams spaghetti or linguine
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 raw king prawns, unpeeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1⁄2 teaspoon chilli flakes
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup vodka
2 tablespoons tomato paste
300 grams clams
300 grams mussels, de-bearded and well-scrubbed
1 squid tube, sliced
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
8 green olives, pitted
TO SERVE
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
sea salt and black pepper
crusty bread, optional
METHOD
Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and reserve 3 tablespoons of the pasta water. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pasta, stir through and set aside in the colander.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the prawns and fry for a few minutes over a high heat on both sides until pink and curled in, then set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the garlic and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes.
Add the chilli flakes, lemon zest, vodka, tomato paste, clams, mussels and squid then cover and cook for about 5 minutes until the shellfish have opened. Discard any that don’t open during this time.
Add the tomatoes and olives, drained pasta and the reserved pasta water and toss together over the heat for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat.
TO SERVE: Stir through the chopped parsley. Divide the pasta and shellfish between plates. Season with sea salt and black pepper, drizzle over the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
latest issue:
Issue #120
As the days become shorter, and the nights cooler, the latest issue is perfectly timed to deliver delicious autumn dishes. From recipes using fresh seasonal produce such as feijoas and apples, to spectacular soothing soups and super-quick after-work meals in our Food Fast section, we’ve got you covered. With Easter on the horizon, we feature recipes that will see you through breakfast, lunch and dinner over a leisurely weekend holiday, and whip up chocolatey baking treats sure to please. We round up delicious dinners for two and showcase a hot new Korean cookbook before heading south to Dunedin to check out all that’s new in food and dining.The latest issue of dish is on sale NOW at all good bookstores and supermarkets – don’t miss it!