The clam and mussel soups that are specialties of Naples and the nearby coastlines inspired this recipe. I’ve added shrimp for more meatiness and dried crushed red pepper flakes simply because I like it spicy, but they’re optional. Whatever you do, be sure to serve this with plenty of crusty bread; the broth is phenomenal to sop up.

　　

Ingredients

6 main-course servings

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　5 garlic cloves, minced

　　1 bay leaf

　　1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

　　1 cup dry white wine

　　1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices

　　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, and butterflied

　　1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves

　　Warm crusty bread, to serve

　　

Step 1

In a large, wide pot, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes, and sauté until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes with their juices and simmer, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to break down and the flavors blend, about 8 minutes. Stir in the clams, then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the mussels, then cover and continue cooking until the clams and mussels open, about 5 minutes longer.

　　

Step 2

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

　　Cooks' Note

　　The trick to this dish is to be careful not to overcook the shellfish—otherwise, it will become rubbery.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.