Seafood Fra Diavlo

So....I am 100% Italian...and it is no secret that Italians show love through food.  I LOVE cooking a meal and serving it to those I love.  Nothing is more gratifying.  

When my cousin Joe passed away unexpectedly last month, I found myself at his wake, on a Thursday night.  I was purely focused on the tragedy of his death and the heart condition that stole him at 46-the same heart condition that stole is mom at 41 and her father at 40.  Anyway, I digress.

I wasn't focused on the fact that I was going to be able to see my godfather for the first time in several years.  Then when I walked in, after the initial shock and sadness, we sat and talked and caught up for a bit.  It was then that he told me he would be in town again in a few weeks and my wheels started turning.

His wife and I decided to message each other on Facebook to firm up our plans.

We made it happen last Friday night.  When they were in town, they came up for dinner and we all, including my parents, my father in law, Rob, me and the kids, had a wonderful time reminiscing and Uncle Andrew and my Dad regaled us with tales from their youth. We had so many laughs and filled our bellies with the Seafood Fra Diavlo that I made.

I was going to do the Lobster Fra Diavlo but when I thought about it more, I knew it would be so much work to cook the lobsters just right and then crack them and cook them long enough in the sauce...etc etc...and I was pressed for time after work.  So, I decided to go with a Seafood Fra Diavlo- a tomato sauce chalk full of shrimp and scallops!

Here is how I made it 

Serves 4 with leftovers (I doubled this recipe to serve our crowd of 9 and we still had leftovers!)

Ingredients: 

4 tbls olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper (I cut the amount in half as some folks aren't crazy about the spice)
Salt and Pepper to Taste 
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can of San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes 
1/2 can tomato paste
1/4 cup brandy
1 lb. shrimp
1lb. scallops
3/4 lb. linguine 
Grated Parmesan to Taste


Instructions:

  In a large pot, over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, bell pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. 

Add the red pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 

Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and ¼ cup of the parsley. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally for 35 minutes.

While sauce is cooking, boil a pot of water and cook your pasta.  Once done, strain and place in a large pasta bowl.

In a separate pan,  heat a splash of olive oil
Take turns sauteing shrimp and scallops
Make sure to season with salt and pepper


Once fish is cooked, add it to the sauce pan

Lower to a simmer until you are ready to serve 

Pour over pasta, season with parmesan and you are ready to rock!

Sooooo delish...enjoy!