Pasta and Potatoes with Seafood

Method

1. In a pan with abundant olive oil, sauté a garlic clove (in its skin), chopped chili pepper, and a parsley stem.
2. Turn heat to high, add the mussels, and deglaze with white wine. Add some cold water, cover, and wait for the mussels to open.
3. Filter the mussel cooking liquid and shell the mussels. Keep them hydrated with their own liquid.
4. Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes. Place them in cold water to prevent oxidation.
5. Clean the calamari (remove the outer skin and inner bone), then cut into rings and the tentacles into small pieces.
6. For the soffritto, in a large pot, sauté onion, carrot, and celery in abundant olive oil. Add salt and a bay leaf; let soften.
7. Add halved cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt; let them wilt for about 5 minutes.
8. Add the potato cubes, stir, then add vegetable broth (or hot water), salt, and pepper. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, in a very hot pan with olive oil and a garlic clove, sear the calamari until a crust forms. Deglaze with wine and let evaporate. Remove garlic, season with salt and pepper.
10. Add the mixed pasta directly to the potato mixture. Stir and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.
11. Halfway through cooking, add the mussel cooking liquid and the calamari. Mix well, adding more water if needed.
12. With 2 minutes remaining, add the shelled mussels.
13. For the final manteca: add more chili pepper, chopped parsley, a generous drizzle of olive oil, and pepper. Remove the bay leaf. Add the smoked scamorza and a pinch of Parmigiano. Mix energetically.
14. Plate the pasta, garnish with basil leaves and a thread of olive oil.