Your perfect fruits of the sea pasta dish.
Linguine ai Frutti di Mare is an excellent way to take advantage of your favorite seafood. Combine it all together in a light tomato sauce and you’ll create a very classic and extraordinarily delicious pasta dish. Envision yourself enjoying a fresh linguini ai frutti di mare as you sit alongside the charming Amalfi Coast. Or enjoying the seafront views from the famous resort town of Rimini.
The combination of seafood I used for this recipe was clams, mussels, scallops, swordfish, and Bahamian lobster tail. Yes, since I am in Florida and lucky enough to be able to get them quite easily, why not use them? If you can’t find Bahamian lobster tails near you of course you can use whatever lobster is common in your area. Also, calamari, scungilli, and octopus are good catches for succulent linguine ai frutti di mare.
As you make this recipe it is very important to pay special attention to the cooking of the different types of seafood. All the seafood will cook differently so to make the most perfect dish I suggest cooking many of them separately. There is nothing worse than overcooked or undercooked seafood. So, paying attention to the cooking steps is crucial to making an extraordinary linguine ai frutti di mare. Now let’s get into it!
Linguine ai Frutti di Mare with Bahamian Lobster Tail
(serves 2)
- 10 ounces linguine
- 12 medium-sized shrimp, deveined, shelled, and tail shell left intact
- 8 sea scallops, rinsed, white hard strip removed, patted dry
- 6 ounces swordfish, bloodline removed, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 12 fresh mussels, scrubbed, beard removed and purged
- 12 cherrystone clams, scrubbed and purged
- 1 Bahamian lobster tail cut in half
- 1 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay)
- 2 strip lemon zest, pith removed and finely chopped
- 1 lemon juiced
- 12 mini San Marzano tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 bunch of Italian parsley rough chopped
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (as needed)
- salt and freshly cracked pepper as needed
Preparation
- Boil a pot of salted water for the linguine and cook the pasta for three minutes less than what the cooking instructions say. You will finish cooking the pasta in the seafood sauce.
- Peel the shrimp and devein them. Leave the tails on and set the shrimp on a platter. Once you’ve cleaned the scallops add them to the platter alongside the shrimp.
- Remove the bloodline from the swordfish. Cut it into 1/2-inch-sized pieces and add them to a platter.
- Rinse the lobster tail and cut it in half. Add it to the kitchen plate.
- Now cover the platters with cling wrap. Refrigerate until ready to cook them.
- After purging wash the mussels and clams using cool water. Trim the “beards” of the mussels using kitchen shears or a sharp knife.
Cook the Clams and Muscles and Seafood
- Put the clams and muscles in a pot. Add the white wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Cook until the shells open. Use tongs to transfer the clams and muscles to a bowl and keep them aside. Make sure to throw away the ones that fail to open.
Clams, muscles, white wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Now strain the cooking liquid from the pan into a different bowl and keep it aside.
- In a pan add some olive oil. Season the lobster and add to the pan flesh side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Season the swordfish and add it to the pan with the lobster.
Bahamian lobster and swordfish.
- Cook the swordfish quickly so that it retains its moisture. This should take 2-3 minutes.
- Then remove the lobster and the swordfish to a plater.
- Season the scallops and the shrimp. First, add the scallops to the saute pan with a little olive oil.
Cooking off the scallops and shrimp.
- After 3-4 minutes the scallops should have a nice color on one side. Turn them over to color the second side and also add in the seasoned shrimp.
- All should be done in about 2-3 more minutes. Remove the scallops and shrimp to a dish and reserve them for later.
Make the Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the garlic and slowly cook it to a light golden color.
- Add in the San Marzano mini tomatoes.
Mini San Marzano tomatoes
Tip: Leave the mini tomatoes whole. This will ensure all the delicious juice from these special tomatoes will make it to the saute pan.
- Use a wooden spoon or the back of a fork to crush the tomatoes once they soften and release their juices. Simmer the tomatoes and season with salt, and black pepper, and add in crushed red chili pepper at this point if using.
- Then stir in and cook another 3-4 minutes over a medium flame. Or until the sauce thickens slightly.
San Marzano tomatoes, shellfish broth, and tomato sauce addition.
- Now add the liquid from the clams and muscles and slowly bring it to a boil.
- Add in the tomato sauce, stir through and taste for seasoning.
Finishing Touches
- Add the seafood to the sauce and simmer gently.
- Once the linguini is almost cooked add it to the frutti di mare sauce. Toss well and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped parsley and a drizzle of EVO to the pan. Toss well and serve with some of the seafood on top of the pasta for a deliciously dramatic presentation.
Linguini ai frutti di mare