Seafood Pasta in a Tomato Sauce

This meal is simple yet fancy all at once. It's chock-full of seafood, so don't make this meal when you're looking to rein in your spending. (Or at least wait until the seafood sale is going on.) But the fresh tomato, hearty seafood, and light whole wheat pasta combines to make a meal that is filling yet surprisingly light.

I served this with freshly made zucchini bread, but garlic bread would also be a great idea. Chill some white wine while you cook so that you can enjoy this meal with a glass. This is definitely worth a special occasion!

Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy

Seafood Pasta in a Tomato Sauce
Here we go!

Ingredients:
1 package whole wheat spaghetti or linguine
1 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 c. sweet onion, diced
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 tbsp fresh basil, diced
3 tbsp fresh oregano, diced
3 cup tomatoes, diced
1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c clam juice
1/3 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 lb crab meat
1/3 lb mussels, removed from the shell
1 tsp black pepper

Start some water boiling, break your spaghetti or linguine in half, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside. (Hint: rinse the pasta with cool water after draining it so it doesn't get sticky or clump together.)

Heat a large pan over medium to medium high heat. Add the olive oil and let it heat for a minute or two. Then, add the garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Stir frequently to keep the garlic from burning and saute for about 4-5 minutes or until the onion starts to soften and cook through. Add the basil, oregano, and freshly diced tomatoes and saute for about 3 more minutes.

Continue to stir and let the fresh tomatoes cook. As they cook some of the juice will seep out, starting to make your sauce. After the 3 minutes add the can of diced tomatoes (do NOT drain them) as well as the lemon juice and clam juice. Stir until well combined for about 1 minute.

Toss in the seafood (shrimp, crab, and mussels.) I prefer removing the shrimp tails first but this is optional. You should also sift through the crab meat with your fingers to remove any bits of shell that made it in. And for a shortcut I bought the mussels pre-cooked and removed from the shell but you can always steam them before this recipe if you need to.

Stir well and let the seafood cook for 3-5 minutes. The shrimp will turn pink and curl tighter when they are done. Stir in the freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the pasta until its well combined. Enjoy!