In Italy, Carnevale runs until February 23 this year while the entire month is dedicated to Heart Health in the US. I’m celebrating with a dish that will transport your taste buds to the sparkling Adriatic Sea while promoting a heart-healthy Italian diet, so I’m sharing my favorite Insalata di Mare recipe from Italian Recipes for Dummies.

Seafood is a big part of the Italian and Mediterranean diet, and increasing your intake by just an additional serving per week can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease.

Known for its many modes of making risotto and seafood, Venetian food also includes traditional polenta, meat, and game recipes, so cooks in Venetian restaurants must be able to reproduce scores of classics daily. This recipe will impress guests when entertaining, but is easy enough to elevate any weeknight meal or Sunday supper. It’s also the beginning of many Christmas Eve meals in Italian households. Be sure to use only the freshest seafood possible, and feel free to substitute what is available in your area when needed.

Insalata di mare/Seafood Salad

Prep time: 10 MIN

Cook time: 10 MIN

Yeild: 8 SERVINGS

Ingredients

          *        4 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped

          *        1 carrot, thinly sliced

          *        1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt

          *        1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

          *        Juice and zest from 1 large lemon

          *        1 pound dry scallops

          *        1 bay leaf

          *        3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

          *        1 pound boneless, skinless cod, haddock, or other white fish, cut into 1-inch pieces

          *        1 pound baby squid tubes, cleaned and sliced in small rings

          *          1/2 cup Amy Riolo Selections or other good-quality extra virgin olive oil, divided

          *        3 cloves garlic, peeled

          *        1 pound mussels, scrubbed well

          *        1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

          *        Additional lemon slices, for garnish

Directions

1. Place the tomatoes, carrot, salt, pepper, and lemon zest in a large bowl, and mix well.
2. Bring a medium-size pot 3/4 full of water to boil over high heat.
3. Lower the heat to medium, and add the scallops and bay leaf. Cook, uncovered, until scallops are opaque, approximately 1 minute. Remove scallops with a slotted spoon to a dish lined with paper towels. Add the shrimp and fish to the water, and cook until opaque, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to another dish lined with paper towels. Add the squid and cook for approximately 40 seconds, until rings begin to tighten slightly. Remove with a slotted spoon into a colander. Immediately transfer squid to a bowl of very cold water to stop the cooking.
4. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO and garlic cloves to a large, wide skillet with a fitted lid over a medium-high flame. When oil is hot, add mussels, toss to coat, and add 1/2 cup water over the top. Cover and cook for 2–4 minutes until mussels are open (cooked). Remove opened mussels, and set aside. If any mussels fail to open after another minute or two of cooking, discard them.
5. In a small bowl, make the dressing by whisking the EVOO and lemon juice together until emulsified.
6. Add the seafood to a salad bowl, and stir to combine. Drizzle with dressing, and stir. Sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lemon slices, and serve immediately.

Wine

Pair this dish with a bottle of Passerina di Offida or similar. A white wine with a slender body, low alcohol, and a taste profile underlined by freshness, sapidity, and tropical notes.