Seafood Fra Diavalo

This pasta dish is a seafood lovers dream come true. I first had this years ago in a small trattoria in Boston, specifically on Hanover Street, also called little Italy. I was absolutely amazed how yummy it was. With a brothy tomato sauce, a little heat, lots of seafood flavor I was totally in love. And promised myself to recreate it.

Boston, I think, has the charm of San Francisco with the East Coast vibe. A university town with rich history, interesting places to visit, lots of walking trails,(freedom trail being the most famous), awesome restaurants and charming cafes. Anyway if you love seafood you’ll love this pasta. Its simple, a little spicy and will remind you of those charming trattorias in costal Italy.

Frutti de Mare SERVES 3-4

Ingredients

• 1 lb sustainable shrimp, peeled
• ½ lb scallops, I used bay scallops
• ½ lb squid, cleaned
• 1-28 oz bottled arrabbiata sauce store bought or homemade or use (basic tomato sauce+ chili flakes)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup seafood or clam broth
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic grated
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes + more to taste
• 1 lemon for serving
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves or chopped Italian parsley
• 8-10 oz linguine or bucatini or any long pasta you prefer
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• grated parmesan or pecorino, optional

Instructions

1. Warm a large skillet on medium low flame.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the salty pasta water.
3. Add a glug of olive oil to the skillet, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir quickly making sure not to burn the garlic.
4. Pour in the white wine, seafood broth, oregano and cover with a lid. Cook for about a minute.
5. Add the shrimp, squid, scallops to the skillet cook for another minute or so.
6. Taste for seasonings and add more sea salt if needed. (Remember that shellfish will render a lot of moisture during cooking, so wait till the end to season)
7. Meanwhile warm up the sauce in a saucepan. Pour the sauce over the seafood and toss to coat well.
8. Add the cooked linguine to the skillet with the seafood and toss to coat in the sauce. Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water if needed.
9. Transfer your seafood linguine to a serving platter, drizzle with a glug of olive oil and sprinkle with the basil and parsley.
10. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
11. Remember this pasta is meant to have a thin tomato sauce unlike meat based pasta.