July 12th, 2024
Spaghetti di Tornola
This recipe celebrates not only our abundant seafood here in Hampton Roads but also my native Calabria in Southern Italy, where my ancestors hail from, and to where I will someday return to live and die in the backyard like Michael Corleone—could be worse. I give tribute to one of my favorite chefs, the great Lidia Bastianich, who found this on a trip there. Enjoy. The calamari (squid) is optional, but I say give it a try.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound calamari cleaned- you can buy the tubes and remove the inside and cut into wide rings
- 1 pound large shrimp
- ½ to 1 pound sea scallops
- 6 large garlic cloves peeled and sliced thin
- 4 cups large cherry tomatoes halved or use 3 cups of the canned san marzanos tomatoes only crushed by hand. I prefer these because you can use some of the juices later with pasta water
- Hot pepper flakes to taste
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 pound spaghetti
Preparation:
- Set on a side burner a large pot with salted water for the pasta and get that going
- Clean the shrimp and calamari—you know how to clean the shrimp. Take anything out of the calamari, if not already cleaned, and cut into ½ inch segments—I use the tentacles too but I grew up with them and that might freak out your guests. Use your judgement.
- Heat ¼ cup or more in a large skillet (you will finish the pasta in this make sure you have the right one), and place the sliced garlic in (do not burn) for a few minutes.
- Place the cherry tomatoes or crushed whole san marzanos in with the garlic and some sea salt and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- The pasta water should be coming to a boil. Get that going and drop the spaghetti in—al dente in whatever time it says on the box or package—you will finish the last minute or two in the skillet with the seafood and tomatoes but keep al dente.
- Now throw in the calamari and let sizzle for a minute or two, then the scallops, and then the shrimp. Do not overcook. Time this to finish the same time as the pasta.
- Lift the spaghetti and drop it after letting it drain into that sauce.
- Add some pasta water if needed and distribute it to be coated with the sauce.
- Use tongs to fold it all together.
- Make sure the seafood is cooked but not overcooked.
- Dress with fresh olive oil and the fresh basil in each plate/bowl as you serve.
- You can use fresh Italian parsley chopped as well.
- Salt to taste, and some may like more red pepper flakes on top.
- Place a lot of the seafood in each bowl/plate.
Serve with crusty bread and a Pinot Grigio or Nastro Azzuro, a popular Italian beer. Use your imagination; this is not science.
Buon Appetito!
