This recipe was inspired by Robb Wolf and Nicki Violetti and pays homage to Nicki’s Italian heritage. When we were on vacation together, they threw together this amazing cioppino in no time flat. We decided to re-create this dish when we got back home, the only difference being that we didn’t have quite the same access to tasty fresh fish as we did when we were on vacation. No worries—Trader Joe’s and many grocery stores have a great selection of frozen seafood to choose from. A bag of shrimp, scallops and calamari is a great choice for this.

Yield: 4–6 main course servings

2 tablespoons oil or cooking fat of choice

1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

One 24- or 25-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce (or one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes)

1 cup clam juice

1 cup dry white wine (or substitute chicken or fish stock)

2 pounds assorted seafood of your choice (shrimp, bay scallops, calamari, halibut, clams or mussles, etc.)

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot that is already hot, and sauté the onions until just translucent, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, oregano, rosemary and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds, or until just fragrant.

3. Mix in the tomato sauce, the clam juice and wine, and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld.

4. Add all the seafood and simmer until cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.

VARIATION: Should you prefer your cioppino more stew-like, you can also include seafood like clams and mussels in their shells, and increase the amount of seafood in this dish.