Seafood Risotto Recipe: Authentic Italian Frutti di Mare

Ingredients

• 1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 1 pound fresh clams, cleaned
• 1 pound shell-on medium shrimp
• 2 quarts water
• 1 large tomato, quartered
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package Arborio rice
• 2 cups white wine, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Soak mussels, clams, and shrimp separately in bowls of cold, salted water for 1 hour. Drain well. Clean and devein shrimp, saving the heads and shells.
2. In a large pot, combine shrimp heads and shells with 2 quarts of water, tomato, quartered onion, carrot, and celery. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes to 1 hour to develop flavors. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Keep the strained stock warm over low heat.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice until it becomes translucent and coated with oil, about 2 to 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, then pour in 1 cup of white wine. Simmer until the alcohol evaporates, about 3 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1 ladle of stock, waiting until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding stock ladle by ladle, stirring after each addition, until the rice is creamy and almost tender, about 15 minutes.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 clove of garlic and cook until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mussels and 1/2 cup of white wine. Cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, discard the garlic and any mussels that didn't open. Remove the shells and keep the mussels warm. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
7. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 clove of garlic and cook until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the clams and 1/2 cup of white wine. Cover and cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, discard the garlic and any clams that didn't open. Remove the shells and keep the clams warm. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
8. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same saucepan. Add 1 clove of garlic and the shrimp. Cook and stir until the shrimp turn pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the garlic.
9. Pour some of the mussel and clam cooking water over the rice and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the rice from heat. Gently fold in the mussels, clams, and shrimp. Sprinkle parsley on top. Let the risotto rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

• Calories: 637 kcal
• Fat Content: 15 g
• Fiber Content: 2 g
• Sugar Content: 4 g
• Sodium Content: 420 mg
• Protein Content: 35 g
• Cholesterol Content: 154 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 73 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 2 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g