Frutti di Mare con Davide Sugo di Pomodoro
A simple, wonderful seafood sauce for pasta or a delicious stew for any occasion, especially the Christmas Holiday. Follow instructions carefully for a wonderful dish of spaghetti with seafood sauce.
Ingredients:
1 jar Davide Italian Tomato Sauce. (Either the Originale, Basil or Garlic)
Seafood: Choose the best seafood possible. Ask, use a reliable source. If you wish, you can make the sauce with shrimp alone, about 2 lbs. of shrimp without adding scallops or lobster.
1 lb scallops (rinsed with cold water and set aside in a bowl. Do not leave in water).
1 lb whole shrimp (clean, rinse, and set aside in a bowl).
10 - 12 oz lobster (About 5 tails - 5 oz. each, 1 per person.
2-3 medium cloves fresh USA garlic - minced.
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Crushed red pepper, a pinch or two or some fresh chili pepper minced.
Possibly some sea salt.
1 cup of White Wine.
Couple springs of Italian parsley and a small handful chopped.
16 oz. spaghetti - DeCecco, Barilla or quality brand.
Serves 5 - 6 persons
Preparation:
First.
Begin heating water for pasta. Remember to salt the water. Use quality pasta and follow directions.
Next, preparing lobster tails. Here are 2 ways to prepare and cook the lobster tails:
1. Method 1. With poultry shears or scizzors, cut the top of the lobster shell from the open end leaving the last section (the "fan") on so that the tail opens nicely for presentation. Use care not to pinch or cut yourself on the pieces of shell. Slightly peel back the top of the flesh of each half and remove the dark, sand-filled intestine that may be exposed and rinse with cold water. Remove small fins from the bottom of the tail before you begin.
2. Method 2. The the easiest way to prepare and stew lobster is without the shell. I would use this method for children. Entirely remove the raw flesh from the shell before cooking. Clean, rinse and cook with scallops and shrimp in sauce. You can leave the flesh whole or cut into strips or pieces.
Now, cook the seafood with Davide Sauce.
In a large chef's pan (or frying pan), add olive oil. Heat and add garlic and pepper. Raise heat and add cleaned and rinsed shrimp, scallops and lobster tails. Add wine. When seafood looks cooked, add Davide Sauce. You want the juices form the seafood not to evaporate so add Davide Sauce as soon as possible. Reduce heat to simmer genlty about 10-15 minutes. Use care not to overcook. The seafood is cooked when the lobster flesh, like the shrimp, is firm, white and opaque rather than translucent. (You can make the sauce the day before and refrigerate for enhanced flavor. Just reheat).
Adding pasta to sauce. There are 2 ways you can preform this step.
1. The first way is called "macchiato" where the pasta is removed from the water slightly undercooked and finishes cooking in the seafood sauce in the pan with a little heat. This way gives the pasta the most flavor. You can add some pasta water but may not have to. The juices from the seafood will thin the tomato sauce - which is perfect. Plate the pasta from the pan with seafood.
2. The second way and easiest way is to cook the pasta according to directions on the pacakge, dump into large bowl and add seafood sauce. Mix well. Continue mixing pasta from the bottom of the bowl while serving portions, adding pieces of seafood for each dish.
Plate the pasta using a serving fork and a twisting motion, forming a small mound like a roll of "hay." Decorate seafood on top of the pasta. Sprinkle and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
As a Seafood Stew, it can be served as a side dish or main dish along with potatoes, vegetables or fresh hard crust bread for dipping. You can also make risotto with this sauce.
Tips. The dish is amazingly flavorful and not too difficult to prepare. Seafood is delicate, just avoid cooking too long. Have people seated when dish is almost ready. Careful not to overcook the pasta, salt the water so pasta has flavor. You don't need alot of sauce, just enough to season. Avoid "drowing" the pasta with tomato sauce. There is pleanty of seafood in this recipe. Plate as much as you want and save some for later if you wish. Many Thanks! Have fun! Enjoy!