Chorizo Linguini With Mussels And Shrimp

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb linguine (or spaghetti)
• 3 chorizo sausage links, approximately 1 lb (mexican with the casing removed and sauteed, mexican is soft with casing whereas spanish is the hard)
• 3 lbs mussels, cleaned and rinsed (the mussels i get from either my grocery store or seafood store are already cleaned, i just rinse co)
• 2 lbs shrimp, peeled, tails removed and deveined
• 1 cup fennel, cut in half and then thin sliced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 (15 ounce) cans italian-style diced tomatoes (i like the one with basil & oregano if possible or any italian seasoning)
• 1 1/3 cups wine
• 1 1/3 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Recipe

• 1 chorizo -- in a very large saute pot heat to medium / medium high and add the olive oil and chorizo. sauté until the chorizo is done and make sure to break it up as it cooks. it should take about 5-7 minutes. remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
• 2 vegetables -- after you remove the chorizo, reserve just 1 teaspoon of the drippings to cook your vegetables inches the rest, please discard. add the shallots, garlic and fennel and cook 3-4 minutes, just until slightly tender and has absorbed the flavors from the chorizo.
• 3 sauce -- then to the same pot, add the wine to deglaze and cook just a minute. then add in the chicken broth, tomatoes, the chorizo, salt and pepper and simmer 3-4 minutes.
• 4 seafood -- to the rich tomato broth, add the mussels (don't forget, if the mussels are not closed, tap on the counter, if they don't close -- toss them out, they are bad), and cook until half way about 4 minutes. then add the shrimp on top but make sure they are submerged in the broth, and cook another 3-4 minutes until they turn pink and begin to curl. don't overcook.
• 5 pasta -- as the seafood broth cooks, cook the pasta according to package directions.
• 6 finish -- once the pasta is done, drain and toss with the seafood broth, cilantro (save some for a garnish), parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper (to taste).
• 7 note: go easy on the salt, mussels have a salty sea taste as does the chicken broth and tomato sauce, so taste as you go. you can always add more at the end of cooking.
• 8 serve -- in a large bowl so you get plenty of the sauce - good crusty grilled bread, topped with a little store bought pesto or with my anchovy butter to dip with the mussels and shrimp. absolutely heavenly!
• 9 garnish with some fresh lemon wedges or lemon slices if you like.