1.  In a large bowl, add fresh water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Stir well and add the mussels and clams. Set the bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours, check the water every 30 minutes or so. If it appears to be getting too dirty, empty the water, rinse the mussels and clams and repeat this process as necessary. By soaking the mussels and clams in the salt water, they open up and eliminate the sand that's inside the shell, preventing a gritty broth.

2.  In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil, white wine, minced onion and minced garlic. Heat over medium high for 3 - 5 minutes or until the onion just begins to soften.

3.  Add the tomato puree, bay leaf, chili pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of the minced parsley and 1/4 cup water to the pan and stir well.

4.  At this point, if you have them, add the calamari, cuttlefish and/or baby octopus to the pan. Bring the pan to a simmer, lower the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes.

5.  If you don't have these types of fish, add the filleted pieces of fish to the pan and cook for 8 - 10 minutes covered over medium heat.

6.  Drain and rinse the mussels and clams then add them to the pan along with the shrimp (if you have them). Cover the pan and simmer another 8 - 10 minutes over medium heat.

7.  After 8 minutes, check the pan to see if the mussels and clams have opened. Discard any mussels and clams that have not opened up as well as the bay leaf.

8.  Taste the broth and add salt to your taste.

9.  Plate the soup in a large serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top. Serve with our Bruschetta recipe.

Notes

The fish should release their own water while cooking, thus creating a broth. However, if this does not happen or there is not enough liquid, add water (or vegetable or fish broth) as necessary to create the broth to your desired consistency.