Spaghettini Portofino

Named after the jewel-box fishing village on Italy’s Ligurian coast, this pasta brings the Riviera to your kitchen table. Shrimp and bay scallops get a hard sear in olive oil until just white, then garlic and onion soften in the same pan before a generous pour of white wine lifts all those caramelized bits from the bottom.

Diced fresh tomatoes simmer briefly in the wine sauce, keeping their shape and brightness. The whole thing gets tossed with spaghettini and crowned with fresh basil leaves. It looks and tastes like something you’d eat seaside in Portofino.

Forty minutes from stove to table. Date night worthy, but easy enough for a Tuesday when you want to feel fancy.

Chef Tips

• Sear on high heat: The shrimp and scallops need a screaming hot pan. High heat gives them color and flavor on the outside while keeping them tender inside. Crowding the pan steams them instead.
• Deglaze properly: When you add the wine, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Those browned bits dissolve into the sauce and add layers of savory depth.
• Don’t overcook the seafood: The shrimp and scallops sear in a couple of minutes and then cook further in the sauce. Rubbery seafood kills a dish like this. Pull them out if needed and add back at the end.
• Fresh tomatoes are worth it: Canned will work in a pinch, but fresh seeded tomatoes give this sauce the light, bright character that defines Ligurian cooking.