A Cheap Seafood Linguine en Papillote, to help you through to payday

 
Overspent at Easter? Fear not – here’s a delicious and healthy recipe from The Top 100 Cheap Eats from Hilaire Walden that will help you get through to payday.

‘Many varieties of fish have become expensive, but that does not mean you have to eliminate fish from your diet. Instead of going for the well-known varieties such as cod and haddock, look for cheaper types such as coley, pollock and huss (don’t be put off by the slightly greyish colour of the first two, as they become white when cooked). You can save even more money by buying frozen fish rather than fresh – it’s still nutritious and you can use as much as you want when you want, rather than worrying about it going off.

Another money-saving tip for buying fish: make the most of any bargains you come across. If you see a side of salmon at a reduced price, for example, you can cut it up and freeze it. And unless you want perfect slices of smoked salmon, buy smoked salmon trimmings, which are a fraction of the price and perfect for pasta dishes.’

This Seafood Linguine en Papillote uses frozen mixed seafood to help keep costs down, it’s ludicrously easy to make, serves 6, and (most importantly) it tastes great too! Perfect for an end-of-the-month meal.

Seafood Linguine en Papillote

Serves 4–6
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30–35 minutes

500g/1lb 2oz linguine
olive oil, for frying
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g/14oz/1⅔ cups tinned tomatoes
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
700g/1lb 9oz frozen mixed seafood, thawed
1½–2 tbsp capers
leaves from a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas 5. Lightly oil 4 or 6 pieces of greaseproof paper, each 35-cm/14-in square.

2 Cook the linguine in a large saucepan of boiling water following the packet instructions, but for 1 minute less than the suggested time.

3 Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic over a low heat for 1 minute. Stir
in the tomatoes, tomato paste and seasoning, increase the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

4 Drain the pasta and toss it and the seafood, capers and parsley with the tomato sauce.

5 Place one portion in the centre of each piece of greaseproof paper. Fold the edges loosely over the pasta mixture and twist the edges together to seal tightly. Place on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until hot throughout.