Italian Seafood Soup

Positano
Italian Seafood Soup

My secret Italian seafood soup recipe comes from a tiny little restaurant in the heart of Positano. I was there one afternoon in the middle of December and although the sun was out it was just cool enough for a light and delicious seafood soup. And what better place to have it then on the Amalfi coast line overlooking the deep blue sea and jagged cliff side hovering over the little tucked away town of Positano.

I stayed in the Hotel Catarina. A five star hotel that well exceeded my budget but thanks to the off season prices I was able to manage and what a treat. Many a movie star and governmental officials stayed at this very hotel.

This is the view from the hotel and it was SPECTACULAR! Much like this soup recipe that I'm about to share with you.

There was no way I was going to drive the road from Amalfi to Positano by myself so I took the bus. After doing so, I'm not sure that was the safest alternative. The most exciting but definitely not the safest.

Once in the town of Positano I walked down the steep hill, past the quaint little shops full of Italian ceramic plates and dangling strings of whole, dried red pepper with signs saying "Italian Viagra".

I arrived at the beach and there by the seaside was a small tucked away restaurant with a few unset tables outside and a warm and inviting ambiance inside. This was the place I wanted to eat.

It was a great choice!

As I walked in the very handsome and charming Italian waiter guided me to my seat where I could enjoy the view. He suggested the wine and insisted I have the zuppa di pesci.

Italians take too much pride in there food to suggest anything that isn't superb. It would be an insult to there family cooking. So I agreed. It would be the perfect thing to take the chill out of this sunny but cool day.

The Italian Fish Soup was Incredible!

Since I was the only one in the restaurant, and to be honest I think they were all so bored, the waiters and their Mama (it was a family establishment) sat with me and humored my very bad Italian. I asked them how to make this amazing italian soup recipe and they explained.

Italian Seafood Soup Ingredients:

lb linguini or other long pasta shape
lb of fresh white fish such as snapper
lb of fresh cleaned medium shrimp
shallot thinly sliced and chopped
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
4-5 basil leaves
1 tiny pinch (a few threads) of saffron
1 pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt
14oz of San Marzano tomatoes
Olive Oil
White Wine

Italian Seafood Soup Preparation:

Although this Italian soup recipe tastes so good it's a very easy pasta recipe to make and it only takes a few minutes to cook. You should start by boiling the water for your pasta immediately and cook it al dente.

Coat the pan with olive oil and heat on medium until warm. Add the garlic and shallots and stir until tender.

Splash with some of the white wine occasionally and add the fish and the shrimp. Allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes. The seafood will cook quickly so don't allow it to cook more then a minute or two before you start your next step.

Add the San Marzano tomatoes, the fresh basil, a pinch of crushed red pepper, salt and the remaining white wine, the basil, saffron and spices and simmer for an additional minute.

The fish and shrimp create a broth for the Italian seafood soup as they simmer with the tomatoes adding a fresh sweet taste.

Once you drain your freshly cooked pasta you can portion it out into the soup bowls and pour the Italian fish soup on top. I had mine with fresh Italian bread and a crisp glass of homemade Italian white wine.

A memorable meal!

If you've ever had a meal or an Italian pasta recipe at a restaurant that tops the charts, like this Italian Seafood Soup, I'd love to hear about it here!