Linguini with Seafood - Buon'Appetito
Submitted by cretzel
Seafood linguine with shrimp, scallops, and mussels in a tomato-chili-basil sauce, brightened with lemon zest and white wine. Italian coastal classic, feeds six.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minLinguine ai frutti di mare is the restaurant classic every Italian coastal trattoria has on the menu, and this version keeps it honest: three kinds of seafood, a quick tomato sauce, lemon zest and basil for brightness, and a pile of linguine to catch it all.
The technique is entirely about sequence. Quick-saute the shrimp and scallops first, just until the shrimp turn pink and the scallops are still translucent in the center. Pull them out. Steam the mussels in the same pan with white wine, pull them out when the shells open. Now build the tomato sauce in the same skillet, which by this point is saturated with seafood drippings. This is where the sauce gets its depth.
Hold the seafood out of the sauce until the very end. Returning them to heat at the last minute keeps the shrimp from turning rubbery and the scallops from seizing into hockey pucks. Half the mussels stay in their shells for the dramatic bowl presentation, the other half get shucked so every forkful has a bite.
Chef Tips
- Discard any mussels that refuse to open after steaming. Those were already dead before cooking and are not safe to eat.
- Do not rinse cooked pasta. The starchy surface is what lets the sauce cling. Drain well and toss directly into the sauce.
- Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining. A splash stirred into the sauce at the end emulsifies and smooths it, picking up any bits left in the pan.
- Salt the pasta water aggressively. Water that tastes like the sea gives you seasoned pasta; bland water gives you bland noodles no amount of sauce can fix.
Variations
- Add littleneck clams alongside the mussels for a fuller shellfish medley.
- Skip the tomatoes for a bianco version: lean on extra white wine, lemon, and garlic for a clean, bright coastal Italian finish.
- Stir in a tablespoon of good olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon off heat before serving for extra brightness.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute or until softened slightly, then add lemon rind, parsley, shrimps and scallops. Sauté together until shrimps just turn pink and scallops are translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon from skillet. Season with salt and pepper.
Add white wine to skillet, bring to boil and add mussels. Cover and steam mussels until they open, about 3 minutes. Remove mussels from skillet and reserve with shrimps and scallops. Discard any mussels that do not open. Remove mussel meats from half the mussels, leaving remainder in their shells.
Meanwhile drain tomatoes and chop, reserving juice. Add tomatoes, juice and chili flakes into skillet and bring to boil. Stir in 2TB basil and simmer for 10 minutes to combine flavours. Season with salt and pepper. Sauce can be made ahead to this point.
When ready to serve: bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well.
Return seafood to sauce, sprinkle with remaining basil then reheat. Toss with pasta and serve.
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