How to make a Classic Frutti di Mare for your dinner table

Name: Frutti di Mare
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 8 Shrimp peeled and de-veined; 8 Scallops; 16 Mussels; 2 cloves Garlic chopped; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 8 grape Tomatoes split (optional); 1 Tbsp Fresh Basil Chopped; 1 pinch crushed red pepper; 1 lb Linguine

December 28, 2016 by Chef Dennis Littley 68 Comments

This classic Italian seafood dish will turn any night into a special occasion. Perfect for your next date night, this restaurant-style dish is easier to make than you think and the flavors will amaze you.

Total Time: 20 minutes

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One of my favorite dishes to prepare when I worked in restaurants was Frutti di Mare. I loved blending seafood together and especially loved serving it over pasta.

There are as many different recipes as there are cooks for Frutti di Mare, and every family has a favorite ingredient that makes it their own.
Depending on what I have available and who I am serving will often dictate what goes into my interpretation of this wonderful dish. My wife enjoys white sauces more than red, so when I prepared this dish for her I kept it in more of an Aioli type sauce. Of course, if you prefer a red sauce or a touch of red feel free to adjust the recipe.

This dish also makes a wonderful Fra Diavolo if your mood is for a little more on the spicy side.

But tonight I kept it light with just a touch of fresh tomato, more for color than for flavor. I had a nice variety of seafood, but again feel free to add in what you have on hand, fresh fish makes a nice addition, clams and of course lobster. I hope you enjoy my version of Frutti di Mare!

Serve your Frutti di Mare over linguine and pour a little of the best olive oil you have on top for added flavor, and I know Italians don’t like cheese with seafood, but I always add some grated Romano cheese to my pasta dishes, even seafood.

I do hope you give this dish a try, it’s really very easy to make, and you’ll have a restaurant quality dinner for a less than half the price of dining out at your favorite restaurant.

If you’ve tried my Frutti de Mare recipe or any other recipe on askchefdennis.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram @chefdenniseats and @chefdennistravels, Twitter and Facebook

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4.67 from 3 votes

Frutti di Mare

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: seafood pasta, seafood recipe

Servings:

Calories: 1103kcal

Ingredients

8 Shrimp peeled and de-veined
8 Scallops
16 Mussels
2 cloves Garlic chopped
2 tbsp Olive Oil
8 grape Tomatoes split optional
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil Chopped
1 pinch crushed red pepper
1 lb Linguine

Instructions

Begin by getting your pasta ready, Linguine or Spaghetti will work the best for this dish, it's a little too heavy for angel hair. Follow instructions on the box, usually around 10-11 minutes for aldente.
In a large saute pan add olive oil, and the chopped garlic and grape tomatoes.
After a few minutes add in the scallops and sear them on both sides. (scallops take a little longer to cook so we want to start them before the shrimp)
After searing your scallops, add in the shrimp, mussels, chopped basil and red pepper, cover and allow the mussels to steam open. This will be enough time to cook the shrimp.
If you have timed this right your linguine will be done just about the time your seafood is ready. If your pasta still has time to cook remove the seafood from the heat and keep covered. You can give it a quick reheat as soon as the pasta is done.
If there is not enough juices from the mussels, add in a little bit of water from the pasta, or I'll let you in on a little secret.....(shhhhh, don't tell.....chicken stock works really well in seafood for added flavor).

Nutrition

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About Chef Dennis

Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

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