Recipes

Tortellini Frutti Di Mare

When preparing seafood and shellfish, it’s essential to start with fresh, high-quality ingredients from a trusted source to make a dish sing. That’s certainly the case for this decadent dish made with mussels, clams, shrimp, and calamari, all simmered in a rich tomato sauce flavored with our Armanino Creamy Garlic Sauce and a hint of white wine.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ small onion, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
2 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons Armanino Creamy Garlic Sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup water
salt and black pepper to taste
½ pound mussels, cleaned
½ pound small littleneck or manila clams, cleaned
½ pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (41/50 count)
½ pound calamari, rings cut into ½-inch pieces
2 pounds Armanino Cheese Tortellini
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon, sliced into wedges for serving

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the tortellini.
Cook the tortellini in the boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or wide, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the anchovies and sauté 1-2 minutes until they start to break up.
Stir in the creamy garlic sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and the white wine.
Cook for 2-3 minutes until the anchovies have dissolved and the wine has mostly cooked off.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and water; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the mussels and clams and stir to combine.
Cover the pan and cook over medium-high until the clams just start to open up, about 2 minutes (the mussels may still be closed).
Add the shrimp, stir to combine and cook covered for 2 minutes.
Add the calamari, stir to combine and cook covered for 2 minutes.
Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper if needed
Place the tortellini in a large shallow bowl or individual serving bowls.
Top with the seafood and sauce, garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Chef’s Tips

Buy seafood and shellfish from a trusted source. Store on a bed of ice in an uncovered bowl in the refrigerator and use within 24 hours. To clean, rinse under cool water, brush to remove any dirt or grit. Sometimes the mussels may have a “beard”–a little mossy bit emerging from the shell. With a small piece of paper towel to get a better grip, pull off these beards and discard.
Before cooking, tap each mussel and clam on the counter. It should close tightly. If it does not and stays open, discard. Only eat cooked mussels and clams that have opened during cooking.
Anchovies often get a bad rap which is unfortunate because they are one of the secrets of a well flavored sauce. One or two add a wonderful saltiness and umami flavor and are not fishy at all.