Seafood spaghetti

To prepare the seafood spaghetti start by cleaning the mussels and clams, then place a colander over a container so that it does not touch the bottom and fill it with cold running water, leaving the clams to purge any sand. Pour out the water and repeat, then leave them to soak 1. Next, clean the mussels: remove any dirt on the shells with the back of a knife, if needed, and tear off the byssus, i.e. the "beard" that comes out of the shell 2, then scrub clean with a new stainless steel pad 3.

It may happen that the shell of some clams contains only sand, to be sure that this is not the case, tap the shell on a chopping board decisively but not too hard, making sure that the opening is downwards. If you notice a black spot on the chopping board it means that it's full of sand and should therefore be discarded 4, but test also with a knife to see if it actually contains sand. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan and when it is hot, pour in the clams and mussels 5, cover immediately with a lid and wait until they are all completely open, about 3-4 minutes 6.

Once the mussels and clams are open, remove the lid 7 and pour them into a container 8. Do not discard the cooking liquid but strain it through a tight mesh strainer and keep it warm 9.

Then shell both clams and mussels 10 and set aside the flesh and some shells still full, while you can discard the empty shells. Unless it's already cleaned, your calamari (squid) will need to be cleaned: remove the head, entrails and the outer skin 11 and cut it open 12,

then cut it into strips 13. Then clean the scampi by cutting the sides of the tail with scissors and removing the shell that covers the abdomen 14. Using a toothpick, try to remove the gut, the black vein on the back of the scampi. This way it won't release a bitter taste. Now wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges 15. In the meantime, place a pot full of salted water on the stove and bring it to a boil, it will be used to cook the spaghetti.

Next, drizzle a pan with 2 tablespoons (25 g) of extra virgin olive oil and add a clove of garlic 16. Once it is golden brown, pour in the squid and add a pinch of salt 17. Cook for 5 minutes then sweat with the white wine 18,

let the wine evaporate, remove the garlic 19, add the cherry tomatoes 20 and cook for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling water 21.

Add the scampi to the sauce 22, season with salt and pepper. Drain the spaghetti directly into the pan 4 minutes before their cooking time is up 23. Continue cooking and pour the mussels and clams cooking water you had set aside 24.

lastly, add the shelled mussels and clams 25. At the end of cooking, turn off the heat, season with a chopped sprig of parsley and toss one last time. Serve seafood spaghetti very hot 27.