1 Discard mussels or clams with open shells that won’t close tightly when tapped. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add 3 smashed garlic cloves and sauté for 2 minutes, or until golden. Add mussels and clams, cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until shells open. Remove mussels and clams with a slotted spoon, set aside. Discard any unopened mussels or clams. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, discard solids and reserve. Reserve pot.

2 Place water and salt in a stockpot and bring to a boil. When the water comes to
a rolling boil, add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes (about 2 minutes less than the package directions). While the pasta is cooking, wipe out the reserved pot with paper towels. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of the olive oil and return to stove on medium heat. Add onion, stirring frequently, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the 6 sliced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute. Add prawns and scallops, sauté for 1 minute. Add wine and simmer for 2 minutes, or until prawns and scallops are cooked (opaque and barely firm to the touch). Remove prawns and scallops from
the pot and reserve.

3 To the wine mixture in the pot, add the reserved cooking liquid from the clams and mussels, tomatoes and chili flakes. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes,
or until reduced by half and thickened. Season to taste with salt. Add the reserved clams, mussels, prawns and scallops, cook for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.

4 Drain cooked pasta well and add to seafood mixture. Cook the pasta in the sauce for another few minutes to absorb the flavours.

To serve add basil, oregano and parsley to pasta. Toss gently. Transfer to a heated serving platter and arrange clams, mussels, prawns and scallops around the pasta. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Copyright 2009, by Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia. Reprinted with permission of the publisher Douglas & McIntyre, an imprint of D&M Publishers Inc.