After my husband order Cioppino many years ago in a restaurant, I’ve started making this wonderful Italian fish stew for my family. I make mine with a thicker sauce to serve over pasta because who doesn’t love pasta, or you can just serve it with fresh crusty bread and a salad.  I love one-pot meals that are easy to make and taste delicious. Many other nationalities have similar fish stews and I love to make the different ethnic dishes.

Cioppino

3  tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 bay leaf crushed

1 can(28 oz) tomatoes with juice, chopped or two cans (14 oz) chopped tomatoes with juice

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded

2 pounds clams, scrubbed

1 pound shrimp, peeled

1 pound sea scallops

1 pound scrod or other white fish.

Heat oil in a large double boiler. Add onion, shallots, and garlic cook for 5 minutes. Add seasonings, tomatoes, wine and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 minutes so flavors will blend. Add mussels and clams, cover and cook for 5 minutes until they open. Discard any that don’t open. Add remaining shrimp, scallops, and scrod. Gently stir the stew, cover and cook for 5 minutes until all the fish is cooked.

Serve over 1 pound of pasta.  To make this dish really nice serve with fresh pasta.

You can add any variety of shellfish and fish depending on what is available at the market. If you like calamari add in place of scallops or white fish. Just use your imagination

Enjoy!