Fabulous Food Friday - Seafood Cioppino

Since this is Friday I thought that I would post a good seafood dish. With this recipe you can add or subtract just about anything per your particular taste.

Ingredients:
1 lb. of Linguini
3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
5 cloves of crushed garlic (use a little less if you do not like garlic)
1 cup of fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped oregano
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/2 cup of a good dry red wine
4 cups of fresh diced tomatoes
1 pound of chopped clams
1 pound of chopped scallops
½ pound of chopped squid
1 pound of cubed fresh salmon
1 pound of cubed cod, or halibut (you could use both if you like and I do)
24 mussels out of the shell (pre-cooked although I have had them still in the shell)
8 crab legs (shelled would be nice or provide a shell cracker; or you could substitute a pound of crab meat)
24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste (I do not like to use much salt)

Preparation:
1.Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil, add soy protein pasta and cook 8 -10 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil for 3 minutes on medium-high, then add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the garlic, basil, oregano and sugar and cook for 4 minutes. Add the red wine, diced tomato and salt and pepper. Stir until blended, cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.Add clams, salmon and halibut or cod or both, crab, scallops and squid. Cover and cook on medium heat for 7 minutes, then add the shrimp and mussels and continue cooking, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Check and add water if needed; check the seasoning. Add salt or pepper to taste.

4.Drain the pasta, and place on plate. Top the pasta with seafood sauce and grated Parmesan.

This should serve about 8 people.

Cioppino is a fish stew derived from the various regional fish soups and stews of Italian cuisine. Cioppino is traditionally made from fish, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce, served over spaghetti and toasted buttered bread.