Vito Gnazzo
Executive chef of Il Gattopoardo, NY

• 16 ounces manila clams
• 16 ounces Prince Edward Island mussels
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus ½ tablespoon
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 ounces shrimps
• 2 ounces scallops
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 ounces cherry tomatoes
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 pound fresh cavatelli

Clean and wash the clams and mussels in running water to remove all the sand and grit. Place the clams and mussels in a large pan with 1 ounce of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 ounces of white wine, and cook until clams and mussels open. Discard the shells and any pieces that did not open. Reserve all meat from the clams and mussels with their juice.

Clean the shrimps and scallops, remove them from their shells and cut into small pieces. In a large sauté pan, put 1 ounce of extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and shallots, and cook over a low flame until fragrant and golden brown. Add the shrimps and scallops and let cook for 1 minute; add the remaining white wine and continue to cook until all the wine is evaporated.

In a separate pot, boil 4 quarts of salted water and cook the cavetelli for 4-5 minutes until al dente.

Add the meat from the clams and mussels with their cooked juices and continue to simmer the sauce for an additional minute. Add the tomato, chopped parsley and remaining olive oil. Mix to incorporate and serve immediately with the cavatelli. Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Italian Cooking & Living magazine.  Click here to view more delicious Italian recipes!