Fish and Stuff

First, let me start off by explaining the recipe title. I received unexpected guests one day and, of course, they were hoping to be able to stay for dinner. I went through my refrigerator, freezer and pantry and pulled out anything and everything that I thought I could to throw together. And, yes, I did happen to have these ingredients on hand shown in the shopping list below. I was a bit nervous when making it the first time but it came out amazingly delicious. My guests asked what this recipe was. My response was, “I don’t know… Fish and Stuff.” Call it what you will, but to my friends and family it will always be Fish and Stuff.

Here is Your Shopping List:

1. 8 oz Jumbo Shrimp

2. 8 oz Bay Scallops

3. 12 oz Imitation crabmeat

4. 1 large fillet of fish (firm, not flakey) such as Monk or Swai cut into bitesize chunks

5. 1 45 oz Ragu Chunky Garden Combination Sauce (your favorite flavor)

6. 1 lb. Fettuccini

7. 1 stick butter

8. Parmesan cheese

In large pot melt ½ stick of butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook on both sides until opaque (do not overcook).

Add the following in this order: Firm Fish cut into bite-size chunks (I like Monk Fish aka ‘Poor Man’s Lobster’) for the flavor it adds to the sauce. In this recipe I used Swai and it was surprisingly good; Imitation crabmeat cut into bitesize chunks (I like this over the lump crab as it holds together much better and adds sweetness to the sauce but feel free to use whatever crab you like); and finally, the bay scallops (which you do not want to overcook otherwise it will be chewy). Season with Salt and Pepper and stir until well combined

Add the full jar of Ragu and stir gently.

Take the empty Ragu jar and fill it ‘half-way up’ with tap water. This sauce should not be real thick and the tap water will thin it out a bit. Stir and bring to a simmer. Add ½ stick of butter to the sauce, cover and let simmer while pasta is cooking.

Cook the Linguini (or long pasta of your choice) in a large pot of boiling water (don’t forget to add the salt) until al dente. Drain and do not rinse. Place the pasta back into the pot and add ladles of sauce. Toss until pasta is coated. Serve with reserved Fish and Stuff on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Any left over is even better the next day. It also freezes well.