Seafood Fettuccine

I haven't had a chance to post to the blog this past week.  It was the busiest week of the year at my job.  Our Year-End Awards Dinner was held which takes months of preparation, plus, I had to get the house ready for a house guest this weekend.  Between those 2 things, and just regular day to day stuff, there was just no time to write, or even cook anything remotely worth blogging about. Thankfully, last night I finally had a chance to get into the kitchen and get my knife a' choppin.

My good friend's daughter, Brooke, is staying with Pancho and I for a few days. She's 19 and on a fall break from College.  I've known Brooke since she was in kindergarten, and watching her grow up into an amazing young woman has been a gift.  She lives in Colorado, where I lived for over 15 years- up until 2005.  I miss her, and her family terribly, so having her come out and visit is always a special occasion.  Last night for dinner I wanted to make something special, that was easy to make, didn't require a lot of kitchen clean-up and would incorporate one of Brooke's favorite food groups- seafood.  Seafood Fettuccine was the perfect answer.  I've been making this pasta dish for years.  It's easy to make and everyone that has had it loves it.  I often joke that this is the dish that made my husband want to marry me.  You can use almost any type of seafood, my usual combo is jumbo shrimp, scallops, and clams.  Crab goes great as well, as do mussels or any type of firm white fish.

Seafood Fettuccine
Olive Oil
2 large shallots, sliced
4 to 6 big cloves of garlic, minced
6 crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp red hot pepper flakes
1 bay leave
salt & pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 can minced clams, with juice
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 lb jumbo or colossal shrimp, peeled & deveined
1/2 lb scallops, patted dry
fresh basil, finely chopped
shaved Parmesan cheese
1 box fettuccine pasta

1. Sauté the shallots, garlic & mushrooms.  Run some olive oil around a large sauté pan and heat up over medium heat.  Add in the shallots & cook for 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and  continue to cook for another minute, then add the mushrooms to the pan.  Season with 1 Tbsp of the oregano, 1 tsp hot pepper flakes, some salt & pepper and the bay leaf.  Continue to cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the mushrooms just start to release their juices.
2. Add in the wine & clams.  Once the mushrooms have started to release their juices, turn the heat up to high and add in the wine and the can of minced clams, along with the juice.  Cook over high heat until the liquid has been reduced by about two-thirds. 
3. Add in the tomato.  Reduce the heat down to medium low and add in the entire can of crushed tomatoes.  Add in the remaining oregano, and, if you like your sauce spicy, another tsp of hot pepper flakes.  Stir well, and let the sauce simmer over low heat while the pasta water comes to a boil.
4. Add the seafood to the sauce while the pasta cooks.  Once the pasta water has come to a boil, add in lots of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the package directions.  When you add the pasta to the boiling water, turn the heat under the sauce up to medium and add the shrimp and scallops to the simmering sauce.  The shrimp and scallops will cook while the pasta is boiling.
5. Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce.  Once the pasta is done, drain it and transfer to a large serving bowl.  Pour the sauce with the seafood over the pasta and toss to coat the pasta.
6. Serve!  Garnish with some chopped fresh basil and some shaved Parmesan cheese.  We drank another Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay with dinner last night.  It was delicious!

Bon Appetit!