Spaghetti ai frutti di mare

 

Have you ever been asked the question "What would you chose to be your last meal?" Well my answer would be easy, my answer would be this recipe. I remember the very first time I had this dish at a restaurant here in Italy. It was love at first bite. First of all, pasta. And let's face it, pasta is good with everything. Then you have mussels, clams, prawns and it's all mixed in with olive oil- tomato- garlic sauce goodness?! That my friends, is what I call a party in the mouth. 

Instead of waiting until the weekend to dive into seafood heaven, I decided it was time to try it at home. 

Serving size; 2

1 small bag of fresh mussels (about 14)

1 small bag of fresh clams (16)

8 prawns 

4 ounces of uncooked spaghetti

1 garlic clove

1/2 white onion; minced

3 medium tomatos (already boiled & peeled) 

fresh parsley 

olive oil 

1 splash of vino bianco (white wine)

salt and pepper 

First things first. Take your mussels and clams and place them in a deep bowl of cold water. Cover with a cloth and leave in the fridge for a few hours up to overnight. Shellfish are filter feeders and bottom dwellers which is why they tend to be filled with sand. 

• NOTE; It is important to lift the clams\mussels out of the water as apposed to pouring the pot into a strainer to ensure you are not pouring the sand back onto the shellfish. 

Heat a pot of water for your pasta. Once boiled, add a large pinch of salt to the water and immediately put the pasta in. One minute less than the package calls for.  

Heat a skillet on medium with olive oil. Once it is hot, add the garlic clove to infuse the olive oil with garlic flavor and the minced onions and sautè a little. Add the prawns, mussels, clams and tomatoes. Splash some white wine and cover for about 4-5 minutes until the shellfish have opened and the prawns are pink in color. Don't forget the salt and pepper! 

Once the pasta is al dente, drain the spaghetti and add it to the skillet of seafood. Mix in all the ingredients and cook for another minute or so making sure the oil and all the flavors are coating the spaghetti. Sprinkle parsley on top if you wish and pour a glass of white wine to accompany this delicious meal you are about to devour. 

P.S; You might be thinking, "where is the cheese?!" In Italian cooking seafood is rarely ever paired with cheese. So skip the cheese in this dish! It will change the flavor anyway.