Quick Cioppino with Heart Pasta

Cioppino with Heart Pasta | WorldofPastabilities.com | Fabulous fish stew with tons of flavor and texture! Delish to serve to your Valentine, also an easy make ahead dish for your guests on any night! Healthy and a WOW!

I hope you all have some fun Valentine’s plans.  It really doesn’t matter what you do…I say skip the roses, at least on this day (overpriced) and hold off on the chocolate (still working on those resolutions?!).

Valentine’s Day should be spent with those you love – whether it’s your spouse, kids, extended family, or friends.  Celebrating love is IN…and in my opinion, celebrating with “seafood” is always IN and highly appreciated.  (Are you reading this sweetie?!)

Cioppino with Heart Pasta | WorldofPastabilities.com | Fabulous fish stew with tons of flavor and texture! Delish to serve to your Valentine, also an easy make ahead dish for your guests on any night! Healthy and a WOW!

Please say hello to one of my loves – Cioppino.  I’ve been making this delectable fish stew for years.  Introduced to me by my wonderful mother, Cookie, the “real story goes” that it originated in San Francisco, California in the late 1800’s by Italian immigrants working on fishing boats.  Their access to fresh fish and shell fish makes me drool…and the components are fairly simple – fresh fish, white wine, tomatoes, plus a few others, but the flavor combination is simply elegant.

Cioppino with Heart Pasta | WorldofPastabilities.com | Fabulous fish stew with tons of flavor and texture! Delish to serve to your Valentine, also an easy make ahead dish for your guests on any night! Healthy and a WOW!

The simple truth – we celebrated Valentine’s Day a little earlier this week.  I needed to make a delicious yet memorable dish for my three boys (2 sons + husband) because this weekend is “divide and conquer”!  I’m off touring colleges with our older son, and John is busy attending exciting basketball and hockey tournaments with our younger son.  These opportunities are rare and special and we are embracing the fun!:)

Quick Cioppino with Heart Pasta

So, back to my Valentine’s dinner.  First of all, this recipe is SIMPLE…you do not have to have clams in the shell, or mussels, or other shellfish with real “hard” shells on hand.  In fact, the ease and flexibility of this dish also makes it a charmer.  You can run to the store and buy a few key items and be serving this within a couple of hours.

Now, it would be terrific if you were entertaining guests for a special night, and your schedule allowed to track down some fresh shellfish in shells…but believe me, this version is easy to eat and lacks nothing when you are talking great taste.  Go ahead…make it and challenge that statement!

Cioppino with Heart Pasta | WorldofPastabilities.com | Fabulous fish stew with tons of flavor and texture! Delish to serve to your Valentine, also an easy make ahead dish for your guests on any night! Healthy and a WOW!

Ok, there are a few more timely shortcuts…but again, I have kids.

And I haven’t even mentioned the HEART pasta!?  Wasn’t it clever for me to integrate these adorably delicious bites of pasta into my fish stew?  You may be thinking “cheeeeesy”, but I say it’s sweet and appropriate for a Valentine celebration!  Or really, anytime you serve this, your guests will love the hearts…just a sprinkle of hearts….

Cioppino with Heart Pasta | WorldofPastabilities.com | Fabulous fish stew with tons of flavor and texture! Delish to serve to your Valentine, also an easy make ahead dish for your guests on any night! Healthy and a WOW!

Not too make too much about simplicity, I’d put this Cioppino up against anyone’s recipe.  I feel strongly about this dish, and I’ve posted a few of my faves in the past, that I don’t want you to miss….so check these out too – that’s a heartfelt “Valentine”!

Florentine Pasta Salad

Angel Hair with Garlic and Spinach

Light Carbonara!

Enjoy Cioppino and these too!

XXX OOO

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Quick Cioppino with Heart Pasta

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 10 reviews

A wonderfully delicious fish stew…perfect all year long. You can substitute lots of fish and shellfish and make this a little different every time! A family favorite around here…yum!!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 14 oz. bag of Heart Pasta (or any other short pasta can be substituted, or pasta can be left out all together)
  • 3 T. olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced (approx. 2 cups)
  • 23 cloves garlic, minced (depending on size…you can’t overdo the garlic!)
  • 2 t. fresh rosemary, or 1/2 t. dried
  • 1/2 t. dried basil
  • 1/2 t. dried oregano
  • 1/4. t. dried crushed red pepper
  • 1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 2 8-ounce bottles of clam juice
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 t. salt
  • 12 ounces cod, or other white fish, cut into 1” pieces
  • 1/21 pound uncooked, peeled, deveined shrimp (if larger in size, I’ll cut them into bite size pieces, and maybe leave a few whole)
  • 1/2 pound bay scallops
  • 2 cans chopped clams, drained
  • 1/3 cup chopped parsley
  • Fresh Parmesan for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package to directions, drain, rinse with cold water, and toss with 1 T. olive oil.
  2. Heat 3 T. oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, herbs, and red pepper.
  3. Saute for approximately 5-6 minutes until onion is transparent.
  4. Add tomatoes, clam juice, wine, and salt, and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add all seafood and a couple of tablespoons of fresh parsley.
  7. Simmer until all seafood is opaque in center, but do not overcook! This should take approx. 3-5 minutes (depending on size of shrimp, pieces of fish)
  8. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  9. Add as much heart pasta as desired to cioppino! I added 1 1/2 cups of cooked pasta, and saved the rest for another meal.
  10. Serve bowls of cioppino topped with fresh parsley and fresh Parmesan! Make sure some heart pasta is showing on top! Hint: Add a few pieces of heart pasta on top of bowl to make sure your sweethearts know they are loved! 🙂


 

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18 Comments

  1. Presley on October 20, 2018 at 11:46 am

    You had me with SIMPLE, and even better that it doesn’t look like it!






  2. Candace Galan-Calderon on February 17, 2016 at 4:59 pm

    Really have to try this!

  3. Nancy Maramonte on February 17, 2016 at 1:49 pm

    Looks hearty and delicious!

  4. sean f on February 17, 2016 at 1:03 pm

    wow this looks great not a big seafood eater but I would make an exception for this






  5. Kymi A. on February 17, 2016 at 1:00 pm

    Mangia! Mangia! Oooh this is another yummy way to share the love with my family and friends. Love the heart shape and it looks easy to make and its eye pleasing delicious! Thank you for sharing.






    • carey on February 18, 2016 at 12:44 pm

      Thanks Kymi! It would really be good with any shape! 🙂

  6. rhonda hagy miller on February 17, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    Sure hope i win this..got some shrimp n the freezer Ive been saving for something special..crossing fingers for this ‪#‎WackyWednesday win!






  7. nicole ford on February 17, 2016 at 12:04 pm

    wow this looks amazing I would love to make this






  8. Jennifer Essad on February 17, 2016 at 11:58 am

    perfect for when we have fresh Florida shrimp in season #WackyWednesday #pastaGiveaway #ontheblog






  9. Natasha @ Salt and Lavender on February 17, 2016 at 9:52 am

    Looks soo tasty! I’m with you – my husband and I don’t do much for Love Day either. My sister and I have a silly tradition where we do a small cheesy gift exchange, but that’s about it.






    • carey on February 17, 2016 at 10:32 am

      I love the tradition with your sister…I have one too and might initiate the same gesture!:)

  10. Wendy Lightner on February 17, 2016 at 9:28 am

    That looks so good!

  11. Amelia Drew on February 17, 2016 at 8:39 am

    I love the heart noodle addition!!

  12. nancy fiorenza on February 17, 2016 at 7:17 am

    yummy and nutricious must make






  13. rob fiorenza on February 17, 2016 at 6:55 am

    wow that looks amazing and yummy too






  14. Holly Weller on February 17, 2016 at 6:48 am

    Looks delish!!! #wackyWednesday






  15. Kathy B on February 13, 2016 at 2:14 pm

    Wow! That looks delicious. I love the heart pasta!! What a fun surprise to a Valentines meal.

    • carey on February 13, 2016 at 7:43 pm

      Thanks! If you happen to want to cook on your Valentine’s Day I say Go for It!!

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