Il Menu
From Sicilian fishing villages to towns in Tuscany and beyond, seafood brings the flavor of the Mediterranean to the Italian table. In the United States, seafood is more and more readily available whether you live in a coastal area or are in the land-locked Midwest. Chef Lorenzo Boni created a wonderful seafood menu with delicious flavors and rich textures beginning with an elegant stuffed calamari and tuna carpaccio with such simplicity and freshness that will melt in your mouth. The linguine with clams is prepared in the classic Italian tradition. Zuppa di Pesca or “soup of seafood” is a hearty seafood dish commonly found throughout coastal towns in Italy. Next a simple side dish of chickpeas and shrimp flavored with rosemary and lemon. To finish the meal, a refreshing sorbet made with pink grapefruit juice and Prosecco topped with blueberries. Buon Appetito!
Antipasti
Stuffed Calamari with Sautéed Artichokes and Grape Tomatoes
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| Calamari, medium (approx. 8) |
4 ounces |
| Garlic |
1 small clove |
| White bread |
1½ slices |
| Heavy cream |
1/8 cup |
| Fresh parsley |
1 tablespoon |
| Italian bread crumbs |
1 tablespoon |
| Artichokes, medium size |
2 |
| Grape tomatoes, peeled |
1 cup |
| Extra virgin olive oil, divided |
3 tablespoons |
| Salt |
to taste |
| Freshly ground black pepper |
to taste |
SOAK bread slices in heavy cream.
REMOVE tentacles from the body of the squids. Chop up the tentacles and place in a bowl. Add the bread soaked in heavy cream, chopped parsley, chopped garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff each calamari with this mixture.
PLACE on parchment paper on a baking sheet dusted with bread crumbs. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and bake for 30 minutes at 350F or until completely cooked through.
CLEAN artichokes and cut into wedges. Sauté with 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
ADD the peeled grape tomatoes during the last two minutes and sauté over high heat.
REMOVE calamari from the oven and let sit five minutes before serving with the artichokes. Drizzle with additional oil if desired.
Fresh Tuna Carpaccio and Baby Greens
(Carpaccio di Tonno con Insalatina Novella) 
| Fresh tuna, thinly sliced |
1 ½ pounds |
| Extra virgin olive oil |
6 tablespoons |
| Lemon juice |
1 lemon |
| Capers in salt |
½ tablespoon |
| Fresh basil, julienne |
4 leaves |
| Black pepper |
1/8 teaspoon |
| Sea salt |
to taste |
| Baby greens |
2 cups |
| Grape tomatoes |
½ cup |
SOAK capers in fresh water for ½ hour. Rinse well.
FREEZE the yellow tail tuna loin until it is partially frozen, approximately 2 hours. Cut into thin slices and place on individual plates. Keep refrigerated.
MIX together lemon, oil, a little salt and pepper.
SEASON tuna with capers, half of the lemon dressing, basil, salt and pepper. On the side mix the salad with the tomatoes and the remaining dressing. Place a little salad at the centre of each plate before serving.
Shrimp and Chick Peas, Oven Dried Cherry Tomatoes and Rosemary(Gamberi con Ceci e Pomodorini Secchi al Profumo di Rosmarino)
| Cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded |
2 cups |
| Extra virgin olive oil |
½ cup |
| Garlic |
1 clove |
| Fresh rosemary |
1 sprig |
| Shrimp |
1 pound |
| Lemon |
1 |
| Salt |
to taste |
| Freshly ground black pepper |
to taste |
| Chick peas |
1 can (28 ounces) |
PLACE cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 200F for approximately 2 hours.
SAUTE garlic clove, gently pressed, with oil and rosemary.
ADD shrimp and brown on both sides. Season with salt and pepper; discard garlic and rosemary. Set shrimp aside.
SAUTE chick peas in the same skillet with the remaining oil for two minutes.
COMBINE shrimp with tomatoes and chick peas; squeeze juice from lemon onto shrimp and chickpeas. Serve warm, garnished with rosemary.
Primo Piatto
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Linguine with Clams
| Littleneck clams |
50 |
| Extra virgin olive oil |
6 tablespoons, divided |
| Garlic, chopped |
2 cloves |
| Red pepper flakes |
½ teaspoon |
| White wine |
1 cup |
| Barilla Linguine |
1 box (16 ounces) |
| Italian parsley, roughly chopped |
½ cup |
SOAK clams in water and sea salt for one hour. Scrub well and rinse with fresh water.
BRING a large pot of water to a boil.
HEAT half of the oil in a large skillet; add chopped garlic, red pepper flakes and sauté.
ADD clams, wine and cover with a lid. Cook over medium heat until the clams are completely open. Discard any closed clams and half of the shells. Leave some clams in the shell as garnish.
COOK pasta in salted water for six minutes. Drain reserving some of the cooking water.
Add pasta to the skillet with clams. Toss well adding some of the cooking water if needed until the pasta is al dente and well combined with the sauce.
STIR in remaining oil. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Secondi
Fish Soup
(Zuppa di Pesce)
| Garlic, divided |
3 cloves |
| Extra virgin olive oil |
6 tablespoons |
| Parsley, chopped |
3 tablespoons |
| White wine |
½ cup |
| Red snapper |
1 fillet (1 pound) |
| Shrimp heads on |
8 shrimps (1 pound) |
| Sea bass |
1 fillet (1 pound) |
| Mussels |
1 pound |
| Red mullets |
4 fillets (1 pound) |
| Clams |
10 |
| Italian peeled tomatoes |
1 can (28 ounces) |
| Italian bread |
4 slices |
SAUTE 2 cloves garlic, 3/4 of the parsley and 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet.
ADD wine and reduce in half.
ADD tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Add the seafood and simmer for 15 minutes or until the clams and mussels are open and the fish is thoroughly cooked.
SPRINKLE with the remaining parsley and drizzle with the rest of the olive oil. SERVE with toasted bread rubbed with garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Dolce
Pink grapefruit and Prosecco Sorbet Topped with Blueberries
(Sorbetto di Pompelmo Rosa e Prosecco con Mirtilli Freschi)
| Fresh blueberries |
1 pint |
| Water |
2 tablespoons |
| Pink grapefruit juice |
2 cups |
| Sugar |
2 cups |
| Prosecco wine |
1 cup |
SAUTE blueberries with water for five minutes. Set aside.
BOIL half of the grapefruit jus with sugar. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining juice and Prosecco. Allow to cool.
PLACE cooled liquid in a metal bowl in freezer; stir every few minutes until frozen.
