Sun, sand and pasta

I'm back from my beautiful, wonderful, relaxing, tummy filling, sun filled (i'm running out of spectacular words to describe it) vacation. Sperlonga is by far the most beautiful place I have ever been, complete with incredible beaches, friendly Italian locals and food that satisfies each and every taste bud. It was one of those places that pleases each sense. The taste of the fresh pasta, the smell of the blooming flowers, the sound of waves crashing on the shore, the touch of the soft sand and the sight of just about everything the town had to offer resulted in an overall feeling of awe. I went with my grandmother and both of us couldn't have been more content. We stayed at the Aurora Hotel.The charming local is a Gagliardi family run business, bursting with a garden that puts those in House & Garden to shame.

Along with long days spent on the beach basking in the sun and taking the occasional dip into the warm ocean, my grandmother and I ventured along the coast to the local Archaeological Museum, leading out to ancient ruins and a cave fit for a king (or an emperor in this case).

Yes, it was perfect, right down to every last bite of pasta. I went a little pasta overboard in fact, trying to combine my meals with other extra treats, like breaded scallops, a shrimp cocktail, crisp salads and plenty of tiramisu and gelato. All in all though I just couldn't resist the seafood pasta combination, I figured if I were on the coast I may as well sample what it had to offer, and I did, devouring pasta with all types of fish and crustaceans each night.

Spaghetti with mussels and clams

Baked scallops with breadcrumbs

Shrimp Cocktail

I decided, like any self-respecting food junkie caught in Italy, that the only way I would be able to make it out was by stuffing my suitcase with fresh pastas, dried Porcini Mushrooms, chocolate and hazelnut infused biscotti and a variety of other special treats.

With these specialties in hand on my return home, the first thing I did was run straight to the outdoor market, stocking up on fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, plenty of garlic and some freshly caught clams and mussels in order to ease my way back into normal life. My first at home meal was right on the Italian target, whipping together Linguine di cozze e vongole (linguine with mussels and clams) and an Insalata caprese.

The best part about Italian cooking, and I am repeating myself, is that a lot of the dishes are quite simple, it's the quality of the ingredients that make the difference. This is the recipe I came up with after plenty of taste testing seafood based pastas these past few days. I used to make something similar without the tomatoes, but the sweet taste of perfectly ripe tomatoes make all the difference.

Linguine di cozze e vongole (Linguine with mussels and clams)

Serves 4

Extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 dried chilli

15-20 good quality cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

1/2-1 lb mussels, cleaned

1/2 lb clams, cleaned

A bunch of fresh parsley, leaves and stems separated, leaves chopped

1/2 lb good quality linguine, fresh if you can find it

1. Heat a few lugs of olive oil in a pan on medium heat and add in the garlic, turning down the heat slightly so as to cook the garlic but not burn it, crumble in the dried chili.

2. After about 5 minutes add in the cherry tomatoes, squeezing them slightly so their juices release into the olive oil.

3. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the skin of the tomatoes begins to peel off.

4. Add in the mussels and and clams and cover with a lid.

5. At this point bring a large pot of water to boil and add in the linguine.

6. When the mussels and clams in the pan have opened turn off the heat and add in the chopped parsley.

7. keep an eye on the linguine, turning the heat off a minute or two before the instructions say to.

8. Drain the pasta and add in back into the pot, pouring the sauce over immediately and cooking over medium heat for a few minutes.

9. Serve immediately.