Sicilian “busiate” with seafood

 Ingredients per 4 persons

busiate pasta (or other short pasta to your taste), 14 oz
fresh mussels, 17 oz
peeled and raw large prawns (or shrimp),17 oz
extra-virgin olive oil, 2 + 4 tbsp
garlic, 1 whole clove + 2 minced cloves
skinned deseeded and chopped ripe tomatoes, 4
deseeded and minced fresh red chilli, 1
dry white wine, 1 cup
salt & pepper to taste
chopped parsley

Procedure

Place mussels in a saucepan and throw over 2 tbsp of oil, the clove of garlic and half a cup of water or dry white wine. Cover tightly and cook on high heat for about 3 minutes, or until the mussel shells open fully. Eliminatethe others. Remove from their shells and set aside.
Add 4 tbsp of Oil to a shallow pan. Sauté minced garlic and chilli over medium heat for about a minute, without burning the garlic. Stir in chopped tomatoes and cook for a 3 minutes. Turn up the heat and add raw prawns, white wine, salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for a minute then add the cooked mussels. Cook a few minutes more. Drain pasta and stir into the sauce. Garnish with chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Thanks to: La Siciliana

– See more at: http://www.iloveitalianfood.org/recipes/sicilian-busiate-with-seafood/#sthash.MBWVVbPM.dpuf

Caponata (Sicilian exquisiteness)

Ingredients per 4 persons

eggplant, 1 large
yellow pepper, 1
red onion, 1
piccadilly tomatoes, 4-5
capers, 1/5 cup
raisins, 1/5 cup
pine nuts, 1/5 cup
sliced green olives, 1/5 cup
red wine
sugar, 1 tbsp
vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
salt
basil

Procedure

Cut the eggplant into cubes, sprinkle with salt and leave in a colander to lose the bitter water. Slice the onion. Soak capers and raisins in water.
Rinse and gently squeeze the diced eggplant, fry in hot oil and remove them when they start to brown. Put the sliced onion in the pan with the oil of eggplant, blending with a little red wine. Cut the pepper into chunks, peel the tomatoes and cut into strips. Add them to the pan with the onion, then season with salt and sprinkle with a little water, covering the pan with a lid. Finish cooking, adding more water if it becomes dry. Add the rinsed capers. Add the olives, raisins and pine nuts. Add a tablespoon of sugar and stir, add the diced eggplant kept aside, sprinkle with vinegar and let it evaporate. Remove from heat, let cool for a few hours and garnish to taste with basil leaves. Caponata is tastier if kept refrigerated and eaten the next day.

Thanks to: Un Tavolo Per Quattro

– See more at: http://www.iloveitalianfood.org/recipes/caponata-sicilian-exquisiteness/#sthash.esaMayx7.dpuf

Mussel soup “Sicilian style”

Ingredients per 5 persons

fresh, cleaned mussels, 4 lb 6 oz
skinned, deseedes and chopped, 8 (1 can of chopped tomatoes)
chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 small bunch
chopped basil leaves, 6
chopped shallots, 4 small
garlic, 1 whole clove + 3 chopped cloves
dry white wine, 1 large cup
extra virgin olive oil, 4 tbsp
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan over moderate heat. Add chopped garlic and shallots, then sauté for a minute, taking care not to burn garlic. Add chopped tomato, basil and parsley, salt and pepper, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes checking and stirring the sauce.
Pour the mussels in a large saucepan and throw over 2 tbsp of oil, a clove of garlic and acup of wine. Cover tightly and cook on high heat for about 3 minutes, till the mussel shells open. Eliminate those that haven’t opened. Add tomato sauce to cooked mussels and cook over a high heat for 3 minutes, giving a few energetic stirs.
Serve your mussels in soup bowls, garnish with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper, accompany with some crusty Italian bread or plain Bruschetta slices, rubbed with garlic and oil.

Thanks to: La Siciliana

– See more at: http://www.iloveitalianfood.org/recipes/mussel-soup-sicilian-style/#sthash.oRC7kid1.dpuf