Seafood Recipes

ITALIAN SEAFOOD RECIPES

Linguine w/Steamed Clams
1 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay (laurel) leaf
2 cups canned tomatoes, drained and crushed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 lbs fresh clams, scrubbed
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb linguine, fettuccine, or other noodles, cooked
Combine the wine, shallots, and cloves in a large pot and
bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Simmer uncovered for
5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper
and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the clams and simmer covered, stirring once or twice,
until the clams open, 4 to 8 minutes depending on the size
of the clams and the pot. Discard any unopened clams.
Add the parsley and pasta and toss gently to combine.
Serves 4 to 6.

Risotto w/Spiny Lobster
3 quarts water
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped, plus 1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 (1 1/2-pound) spiny lobsters
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
Bring 3 quarts water to boil with the coarsely chopped onion,
carrot, and bay leaf. Prepare the ice bath. Plunge each
lobster into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove and submerge in ice water 1 minute. Drain and set
aside. Keep the lobster cooking liquid warm on stove.
In a 12 to 14-inch frying pan with 3-inch sides, heat the
olive oil, finely chopped onion, and tomato paste over
medium heat until softened but not brown, about 8 to 10
minutes. Add the rice and, stirring constantly, cook until
opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine, then the
lobster cooking liquid, ladle by ladle, until the rice
is covered. Turn the heat to high and, stirring constantly,
continue to cook, maintaining the level of liquid just above
the level of rice, for 15 minutes.
Remove the lobster from its shell, chop the meat into 1-inch
pieces and toss into rice. Continue cooking until rice is soft
but still al dente. Season with salt and pepper, remove from
heat and stir in butter and parsley. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Medium

Roasted Breaded Mussels
2 pounds medium mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
Dry white wine
2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried crumbled oregano
2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup freshly grated bread crumbs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Prepare the scrubbed mussels for cooking by rinsing under running water.
Discard any that are gaping, keeping only those that are firmly closed;
also discard any that are very heavy.
Place the mussels in a pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water or dry white
wine over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, just until the
mussels begin to open. (The mussels will continue cooking later). With a
slotted spoon, remove the mussels to a bowl as they open.
When all the mussels are removed, strain the liquid in the pot through a
fine sieve or several layers of cheesecloth. Reserve the liquid.
(You should have 1/4 cup of liquid ? if not, make up the difference with
a little dry white wine or water.) Remove the mussels from their shells,
reserving a half shell for each mussel. Set the half shells on a baking
sheet and place a mussel in each one.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, oregano, grated cheese,
and bread crumbs, then sprinkle the mixture over the mussels in a thin
layer. Drizzle the olive oil and reserved strained mussel liquid over the
breadcrumbs. Bake the mussels for about 10 minutes or until the tops are
brown and crisp. Serve piping hot or at room temperature. Do not reheat.
Yield: 4 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Oven Roasted Fish w/Black Olives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pitted, coarsely chopped Gaeta olives
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 (4-pound) snapper, or 6 (1-inch thick) halibut steaks
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using 1 teaspoon of the oil, grease a large oven dish.
In a medium bowl, combine the olives, parsley, & garlic.
If using a snapper, stuff the cleaned fish with half the
mixture, place the fish in the dish, and sprinkle the
remaining mixture over the top of the fish. If using steaks,
place them in the oven dish and sprinkle with all of the
mixture. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with
lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Cook in oven 30 mins.,
basting every 10 minutes with pan juices. Serve immediately,
garnished with lemon zest and parsley.
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Spaghetti w/Clams & Mussels
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups canned tomatoes, drained & coarsely chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
1 pound Manila clams, scrubbed
1 pound small mussels, scrubbed
1/2 cup white wine
1 pound spaghetti
1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons
salt. In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over
medium-high heat, and add the garlic. Cook 2 minutes,
then add the tomatoes. Raise the heat and cook until the
tomatoes give off their juices, about 10 minutes. Season
with salt and pepper and add the mollusks. Cook, stirring
and tossing, until all of the mollusks have opened, about
10 minutes. Discard any that have not opened. Meanwhile,
cook the pasta in the boiling water until tender yet al dente,
about 7 mins. Drain & add to the pan with the sauce. Cook
over high heat 2 minutes, adding the parsley and adjusting the
seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta Fina w/Shrimp
1 pound fresh linguine
1 to 2 ounces olive oil
12 ounces salted butter
3 cups clam juice
3 cups diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped green onions
1 pound baby shrimp
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup black olives
Cook linguine in boiling salted water until al dente.
Drain and stir 1 to 2 ounces of olive oil into linguine
to help prevent pasta from sticking together and set aside.
In a large saute pan, combine the butter, clam juice, tomatoes,
green onions, baby shrimp, white wine, and black olives.
Place on high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally.
When butter melts, cook for 5 more minutes.
Add the pasta to the mixture and toss to heat through.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

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