Fresh pasta with seafood

Linguine con frutti di mare
Fresh Pasta with Seafood
Serves 4

There are a million versions of this classic dish. This one uses ingredients usually available here in San Francisco Bay Area markets and closely resembles what you might find in one of the lively trattorie in Naples, Italy.

Ingredients:

• 16 x mussels / washed & de-bearded
  
• 16 x manila clams / washed
  
• 12 x fresh calamari / cleaned and cut into thick rings
  
• 12 x fresh prawns / shelled and de-veined
  
• 12 oz. x firm white fleshed fish / cut into ½ inch dice
  
• 4 cloves x fresh garlic/ peeled, germ removed, sliced thin
  
• 3 oz. x dry white wine - no oak
  
• 4 oz. x tomato/ peeled, seeded & chopped fine
  
• ¼ cup x fresh oregano
  
• Kosher salt
  
• Freshly ground pepper
  
• Extra virgin olive oil
  
• Hot chile in oil or dry hot pepper if desired
  
• 1 lb. x freshly made linguine or your favorite dry strand pasta
  

Preparation:

1. Heat a large sauté pan on high heat to very hot. Place all the seafood and the garlic in and pour in some extra virgin olive oil -- about ¼ cup.
   
   
2. Season liberally with salt and pepper and shake the pan to coat with oil. Allow the garlic to brown light lightly but not burn.
   
   
3. Add wine, reduce for a moment, then add tomato and let simmer until the clams and mussels are all open and everything is just done.
   
   
4. Time the pasta to be cooked to al dente in well salted water just as the seaffod is done.
   
   
5. Drain the pasta and add with the oregano to the seafood.
   
   
6. Toss well and add another drop of oil and a little hot pepper if desired.
   
   
7. Serve immediately on a warm platter with a nice chilled white wine such as Fiano di Avellino, Falanghina or Greco di Tuffo.

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About Chef Peter Chastain:

Peter Chastain joined Prima in 1999 as executive chef. In 2005, Chastain purchased the restaurant and wine retail store with his business partner John Rittmaster. Today Chastain continues Prima's more than 34 year tradition of sharing the simple pleasures of the Italian table with his guests.

Chastain, an American citizen of the world, has extensive international travel and cooking experience which is readily apparent in the cuisine of Prima. He has won national acclaim for embracing the Italian passion for excellent ingredient quality, freshness, and flavor.

Chastain embraces Italian sensibility with foods that are exquisitely pure and immaculately simple. His style relies upon flawless execution to showcase the quality and freshness of each carefully selected dish.

Having worked in Japan, Europe, and the United States, Chastain has extensive experience in all aspects of kitchen operations - from production to instruction. A native of Berkeley, California, he trained under several industry leaders in the San Francisco Bay Area and on the East Coast before residing in Japan for four years.

Returning to the United States in the early eighties, Chastain studied under the late, renowned Ken Wolfe at Contra Costa College. Since then, he has taught classes on Italian cooking and culinary history in several private and public institutions. "I've been fortunate to have studied food and hospitality with amazingly generous and supportive teachers here and abroad.

My goal is for that love and energy which was shared with me to come through in delicious food and a lively atmosphere at Prima," says Chastain.

Prior to joining Prima, Chastain opened Mazzini Trattoria as executive chef, in Berkeley. He was also executive chef at Berkeley's Ristorante Venezia for several years before serving as a consulting chef with Hilton International in Japan. (During Chastain's previous sojourn in Japan, he was captivated by the Japanese attention to quality and detail and began to infuse those qualities into his work.

He also met the love of his life whom he soon married.) He honed his craft and learned versatility in San Francisco Bay Area venues including Pacific Heights Bar and Grill, Janot's, Clift Four Seasons Hotel, St. Francis Yacht Club and Paula Le Duc Fine Catering. In recent years on several stage tours to Barbaresco, Bologna, Florence, Marche, and Piemonte, Italy, Chastain has solidified the characteristic cooking style which is now the heart and soul of Prima.

Chastain resides in Oakland, California with his family.

PRIMA Ristorante
1522 North Main Street
Walnut Creek, California 94596
Phone: (925) 935-7780
Website: www.primaristorante.com
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