Pescatore Recipe

Clean and dry

Pat all seafood dry with paper towels. Trim any tough edges from fish and scallops. If mussels are present, discard any that are open and do not close when tapped. Keep seafood chilled until ready to add.

Season shrimp, scallops and fish lightly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; set aside.

Cook aromatics

Heat a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter melts and begins to foam, add the diced onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

Add garlic and shallot

Add the minced garlic and shallot to the softened vegetables and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.

Deglaze

Pour in the white wine and increase heat to medium-high. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and let the wine reduce by about half, approximately 3–4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and stock

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and fish stock (or clam juice). Add the dried oregano, dried thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Simmer

Reduce heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes to blend flavors and thicken slightly. Taste and adjust salt/pepper if needed.

Add mussels

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the cleaned mussels to the simmering sauce, cover the pot, and steam for 4–6 minutes until mussels open. Remove any mussels that do not open.

Add firmer fish and calamari

Carefully add the fish pieces and calamari rings to the pot, stirring gently to coat them in sauce. Cover and simmer for 3–4 minutes until fish is opaque and calamari is tender but not rubbery.

Add shrimp and scallops

Add the seasoned shrimp and scallops, stirring them into the sauce. Cover and cook for 3–4 minutes more, until shrimp are pink and scallops are opaque and cooked through. Do not overcook.

If using, stir in the heavy cream and cold butter now to enrich the sauce, then remove the pot from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and half of the chopped parsley.

Taste the Pescatore and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to taste. Sprinkle torn basil leaves and remaining parsley over the top.

Serve the seafood and sauce immediately over cooked pasta (linguine or spaghetti) or alongside crusty bread. Spoon plenty of sauce and an assortment of seafood onto each plate. Garnish with extra lemon wedges if desired.

Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat; add a splash of stock or water if the sauce has thickened.