Frutti Di Mare Recipe

Clean mussels

Rinse the mussels under cold water, discard any with cracked shells or that do not close when tapped. Scrub shells and remove beards by pulling toward the hinge. Keep chilled until ready to cook.

Prepare calamari and prawns

Pat calamari rings and tentacles dry with paper towels. Pat prawns dry, remove veins if not already deveined. Season both lightly with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Heat a large, wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the crumbled hot Italian sausage and brown, breaking it into bite-sized pieces, about 5–7 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving rendered fat in the pan.

Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add chopped onion and shallot, season lightly with a pinch of salt, and sweat until translucent and soft, about 5–7 minutes. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Raise heat to medium-high and pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Let the wine reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.

Add the tomato passata and crushed cherry tomatoes, stir to combine. Add the fish stock, return the browned sausage to the pot, and bring to a gentle simmer. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered 8–10 minutes to meld flavors.

Add the mussels to the simmering sauce, cover the pot with a lid, and steam for 3–5 minutes until most mussels have opened. Shake the pan once or twice during cooking to distribute heat. Remove any mussels that do not open and discard.

Add the prawns and calamari to the pot, stir gently to coat with sauce. Cook uncovered for 2–3 minutes until prawns turn pink and opaque and calamari are just cooked (avoid overcooking calamari to prevent rubberiness). Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper if needed.

Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped parsley (reserve a tablespoon for garnish) and torn basil. Finish with a drizzle (about 1 teaspoon) of extra-virgin olive oil and the remaining tablespoon of butter if desired for gloss.

Spoon Frutti di Mare into shallow bowls, ensuring an even distribution of mussels, prawns, calamari and sausage, and ladle plenty of the tomato-wine broth over top. Scatter remaining parsley and a few basil leaves across the top.

Serve immediately with crusty bread or toasted crostini to soak up the broth. Offer extra lemon wedges and red pepper flakes at the table.