Linguine allo Scoglio

Ingredients

• 320 g Linguine
• 500 g Mussels
• 500 g Clams
• 250 g Prawns
• 250 g Squid
• 250 g Cherry tomatoes
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 80 ml White wine
• 5 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch Parsley
• 1 piece Red chili pepper
• 1 to taste Salt

Steps

1. Purge the clams: place them in a bowl of cold salted water (35 g salt per litre) for at least 2 hours, changing the water once or twice, so they release their sand.
2. Scrub the mussels and pull off the beards.
3. Rinse both under cold running water.
4. Clean the squid: pull off the head, remove the innards and the transparent quill, peel away the skin, then cut the bodies into 1 cm rings and halve the tentacles.
5. Peel the prawns, leaving a few whole with the head on for garnish, and remove the dark vein.
6. Open the shellfish: heat a wide pan over high heat with a splash of oil and a crushed garlic clove.
7. Add the mussels and clams, cover, and steam for 4–6 minutes until they open.
8. Discard any that stay shut.
9. Lift them out, shell most of them keeping a few in the shell, and strain the cooking liquor through a fine sieve to remove grit.
10. Reserve.
11. Start the sauce: in a large clean pan, gently fry 2 whole garlic cloves and the chilli in plenty of extra-virgin olive oil over low heat until fragrant, without browning.
12. Remove the garlic if you prefer a milder flavour.
13. Add the squid rings and cook for 2 minutes.
14. Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate over high heat.
15. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt; cook for 5–6 minutes until they soften and release their juice.
16. Pour in the reserved strained shellfish liquor.
17. Meanwhile cook the linguine in abundant lightly salted boiling water (the seafood is already salty) until very al dente, about 2 minutes short of the packet time.
18. Add the prawns to the sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes.
19. Return the mussels and clams to warm through.
20. Drain the linguine and transfer them directly into the pan with a ladle of pasta water.
21. Toss vigorously over high heat for 1–2 minutes so the starch emulsifies the sauce and the pasta drinks up the flavour.
22. Turn off the heat, add a generous handful of chopped parsley and a final drizzle of raw olive oil.
23. Toss once more and serve immediately, arranging the reserved shell-on shellfish and whole prawns on top.
24. Never add cheese.

Tips

• Open the mussels and clams separately and strain their liquor — it is the single most important step, both for removing grit and for building a sauce that truly tastes of the sea. Finish the pasta in the pan with a little starchy cooking water so the sauce emulsifies and clings; never rinse the pasta and never, ever add grated cheese to seafood pasta in Italy.