Mussels, Clams and Shrimp in Spicy Broth

This recipe is courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis and Food Network

Lucia's uncle would have shown her how to clean the mussels and clams (including pulling off the beard -toward the hinge end). Not having Uncle Gianni handy I had to do some research on the computer. Thankfully the shrimp came cleaned and deveined. YAY!

Ingredients1/4 cup olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 cup dry white wine

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

24 small Littleneck clams (about
2 1/2 pounds total), scrubbed

24 mussels (about 1 1/2 pounds total), debearded

20 large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined,
butterflied

1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Warm crusty bread

Directions

  Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add
the garlic, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Saute until
the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the
tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomatoes begin to break
down and the flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Stir in the clams. Cover and cook
for 5 minutes. Stir in the mussels. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels open, about 5
minutes longer.


Using a tongs, transfer the opened shellfish to serving
bowls (discard any shellfish that do not open). Add the shrimp and basil to the
simmering tomato broth. Simmer
until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes. Divide the shrimp
and tomato broth among the bowls. Serve with the warm bread.

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