Spaghettini with seafood

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2–3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
1 can chopped tomatoes, about 400 gpinch of dried red chilli flakes
¼ teaspoon sugar
pinch of saffron threads
8–12 mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
2 squid, cleaned, then tentacles cut into bite–sized pieces and bodies cut into rings
300 g raw prawns, peeled
400 g spaghettini
salt and pepper
sprigs of fresh oregano or marjoram to garnish

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and sauté for 5–7 minutes or until softened but not browned.
Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a further 1 minute.
Pour in the wine and bring to the boil.
Regulate the heat so that the wine boils steadily, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the wine has almost all evaporated.
Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, the chilli flakes, sugar and saffron threads.
Reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 15 minutes.
Season to taste.
To prepare the mussels, discard any broken ones or open ones that do not close when tapped.
Add the mussels to the pan.
Cover and cook over a moderate heat for about 5 minutes or until the mussels start to open.
Add the squid and prawns, and cook for a further 3–4 minutes or until the prawns turn pink.
Remove from the heat.
Discard any mussels that have not opened, then cover the pan to retain the heat.
Meanwhile, pasta in boiling water for 10 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente.
Drain and return to the empty pan.
Add some of the tomato sauce and toss the pasta until coated.
Serve the pasta with the remaining tomato sauce and seafood piled on top, garnished with small sprigs of fresh oregano or marjoram.