Mixed Seafood Pasta w/ Marinara Sauce

Slow roasted tomato sauce on tri-color pasta with pan fried white fish, mussel, salmon, scallop, and squid. The secret to the awesome sauce: a few hours of simmering and 2 chili peppers. Compliments to the bf for this one :) Definitely great with a cabernet sauvignon (and lots of candles).
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Serves 4.


Ingredients

• Mixed seafood (we had white fish, mussel, salmon, scallop, and squid)
• 1-2 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Tri-colored fusilli pasta, 16oz bag/box
• 1 tbsp. butter
• Salt/Pepper (to taste)
• Fresh parmigiano-reggiano, grated
• Fresh basil (few leaves), julienned
• Homemade Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce
• 3 tbsp. olive oil (more or less)
• 1 cup Mushroom, sliced
• 1 Capsicum (bell pepper)
• 3 Onion (small), coarse chopped
• 3 Garlic cloves, some diced and some coarse chopped
• 2 Tomatoes, blended
• 2 Chiles, blended
• 1 can Tomato, stewed
• 2-3 tbsp. parsley
• 1 tbsp. oregano
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• Salt/Pepper (to taste)

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil and brown the mushrooms. Once browned, decrease the temperature to medium heat and add the capsicum. Cook capsicum until edges are slightly browned. Then, drop the temperature to low head and add onion. Cook until onion is almost caramelized and has a clear look to it. 
2. While that's cooking, blend the tomatoes and chile in a food processor (or blender). Set aside.
3. Once the onion is cooked through, add garlic and crank up the heat to high for 1 minute, or until you smell garlic being cooked. Drop the heat back to low and add the remaining ingredients: tomato blend, canned tomato, and spices. Cover the pot and let simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours (the longer/slower, the better).
4. About 25 mins before serving, prepare the seafood and pasta. In a separate pot, start boiling some water for the pasta. Put the pasta in your boiling water and cook until "al dente." 
5. In a frying pan, drizzle olive oil on mixed seafood and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning (to taste). Turn heat up to medium-high and fry the seafood, so the white fish has a nice crispy edge. Set aside for the minute.
6. Drain the pasta and toss with butter (to prevent sticking). Now you're ready to serve!
7. In serving bowls, place pasta, ladle with plenty of marinara sauce, and add the fresh seafood on top. Then for the finishing touches, sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper, grate parmigiano-reggiano over the bowls, and sprinkle with fresh basil. Enjoy!