Growing up, my mother and Grandmother made a special pasta dish just for Christmas Eve dinner. Being young, I didn’t realize what made this pasta special, but I knew it was reserved for a special occasion… an intimate gathering of family members.

Now that I’m older and have my own family I decided to give it a shot. But why is this pasta special and Italian? Well, some say the recipe should have 7 types of seafood. I use four. The reason for seven is because of the seven hills of Rome. Also, Italians are very much connected to the sea… Italy is surrounded by water on three sides. In fact, my great grand father was a sea captain and recently on several cruises I took the captains and crew were all Italian. A popular Italian sauce, Marinara Sauce, is a reference to the way Mariner’s liked their sauce.

An ingredients list: – Maryland Blue Crab ( or just blue crab if you can’t get it from Maryland — I live in Texas… I couldn’t get it.) – Scallops – Lobster Tails – Shrimp – Tuscan extra virgin olive oil – Garlic / garlic cloves – Diced onions – Mediterranean sea salt – 2 28oz. Cans of San Marzano Tomatoes – Small cans of tomato paste (optional) – Fresh basil leaves – 1 pound linguine pasta (more if needed for a large group)

Start the sauce

Empty 2 28oz cans in a sauce pan. Crush the whole tomatoes. Heat on low heat. Add in the diced onions, whole basil leaves, and garlic powder / cloves. Add two tablespoons Mediterranean sea salt.

Prepare the Seafood

Scrub and clean the crabs, lobster tails, and scallops. The sea can be dirty and you want to remove any grime. Put olive oil in a pan and heat the oil with the crushed garlic / garlic cloves. Sauté the blue crabs, lobster, scallops, and shrimp.

Add the Seafood to the Sauce

Dump the sautéed seafood into the sauce and stir. You may notice that after cooking on low heat for a few hours the sauce may become a bit watery. If that is the case, add a small can of tomato paste to thicken up the sauce.

Cook the Linguine

This part is very simple. Boil some water and place the linguine in for about 8 minutes (read the package for specific timing).

Combine and Enjoy

Strain the linguine, place it in a plate or bowl, and then enjoy!

I hope you can make this recipe a part of your Christmas dinners or special events.