Shell Pasta with Shellfish and Tomatoes

Known as ditaloni alla marinari al cucchiaio at chef Corrado Biló’s restaurant Trattoria la Moretta in the Italian coastal city of Ancona, the dish translates quite simply as “seafood ditaloni with a spoon.” Biló told us his inspiration was a pasta dish loaded with seafood, yet easily eaten with a spoon. Ditaloni, a smallish ridged tube pasta, is not easy to find in the U.S., so for our adaptation, we chose medium shells—a seemingly appropriate shape for a seafood dish—or mezzi rigatoni. For a variety of flavor and texture, we use a trio of shellfish: calamari (shrimp is a fine alternative), scallops and mussels (or clams). It’s worth seeking out dry sea scallops—that is, ones that have not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), a preservative that causes them to retain water. Dry scallops have a pinkish hue and a clean, sweet flavor.