One of our favourite restaurants in Merida, Yucatan Il Caffe Italiano serves this wonderful seafood dish. We usually pop in after Sunday afternoon symphony. This is one wonderful dish and makes a little seafood go a long way! If you are buying fresh seafood, just purchase TWO pieces of EACH seafood PER PERSON.
Reef Spaghetti – Spaghetti allo Scoglio
Ingredients
- fresh clams (although I used frozen and they were just fine)
- fresh mussels (frozen is fine)
- shrimp (frozen is fine) De-veined and tails removed!
- 2 or 3 plum tomatoes chopped (I would use more next time)
- bunch of parsley
- basil
- 1 clove of garlic OR MORE
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup of white wine
- spaghetti (dependent on how many people)
Preparation
If using frozen seafood, first thaw them in the refrigerator in cold salted water for about 30 minutes. Thaw each seafood separately. Salt a pot of water for the spaghetti and set it to boil. Heat 2 T. of oil in a broad skillet with the garlic. When the garlic is browned, remove it (and eat it if you want..LOL). Add the drained clams and mussels. Cover and cook over a brisk flame, shaking the pan every now and then until the shellfish have opened. Turn off the flame and let them cool slightly. Remove empty or unopened shells. Do NOT try to open closed shells as they are already dead and eating them could make you quite sick!!!
Start to boil the spaghetti!!
In a separate deep skillet add more oil and garlic. Add the chopped tomatoes. and shredded basil leaves.Salt. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes. Stir in all of the shellfish (including the shrimp), adding some of the white wine (to your taste) Simmer another five minutes.
Transfer the drained, cooked spaghetti to your serving dish, add a little olive oil and ground pepper. Toss and then stir in the sauce with the seafood. Serve with some crusty bread to soak up the sauce…and don not forget more wine…to drink, of course!!
Buen provecho...2022 