Recipe by Georgia East

"Redolent of an Italian coastal summer, this impressive seafood dish makes a statement on the table but is actually deceptively simple to prepare. Keeping flavours fresh and light, the pasta sauce is made using ripe tomatoes, garlic and olive oil while a combination of fresh mussels, prawns, clams, calamari, crayfish or langoustine give the pasta its oceanic appeal.

Shellfish makes the perfect partner for the 2019 La Motte Méthode Cap Classique – not only to serve with the pasta but use a splash to steam open the mussels and clams too."

Frutti di Mare Seafood Pasta

Prep time: 20 mins /Cook time: 15 mins /Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1kg live mussels, cleaned
• 500g clams, defrosted
• 500g large prawns, cleaned
• 250g baby calamari, cleaned
• Olive oil
• A large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes
• 4 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Coarse ground sea salt and black pepper
• 400g linguine
• Fresh basil, to serve
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method:

Place the mussels and clams into a lidded pot and pour in 150ml of white wine, MCC or water. Set the pot over high heat and steam until all the mussels are open. Discard any that don’t open.

Drizzle a little olive oil in the base of a large pan and sauté the prawns for 2-3 minutes per side or until pink and cooked through. Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and return it to high heat. Season the calamari with salt and pepper and fry in the hot pan until lightly golden and cooked through – usually no longer than 3-4 minutes. Remove the calamari from the pan and set aside.

If necessary, wipe out the pan with some paper towel. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and set the pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until just soft and lightly golden. Add in the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute before switching off the heat. Stir through the chopped tomato and season the sauce generously with salt. Stir through all of the calamari and half of the mussels, clams and prawns. Cover the sauce with a lid and set aside.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Add a good glug of olive oil and once boiling, add in the linguine. Cook the pasta as per packet instructions or until al dente. Use tongs or a pasta spoon to take the linguine directly from the cooking water and into the tomato sauce. Gently combine the pasta with the sauce and spoon out on to a warmed platter. Top the pasta with the remaining mussels, clams and prawns, drizzle over some olive oil and garnish the pasta with lots of fresh basil and a few lemon wedges.

Serve immediately with a few glasses of chilled La Motte Méthode Cap Classique.