This is one of Alex’s favorites.  He first had it at the home of Rene Curtis' parents, Steve & Victoria.  Rene calls this fra Diavolo (Diavolo is Italian for “devil”, meaning that it is hot).  Her family uses seven sea foods, adding calamari (squid) and muscles to the recipe below.   

Here are comments from Laura Rice, a special Italian friend of mine:  

"Ah...one of my very, very favorites!!!  I ALWAYS order this when I go to an Italian restaurant.  Sometimes it's called Cioppino (ChoePEEno) and other places call it Linguine Pescatore (peskaTOEray) fra (or al) Diavolo. (any time you see Diavolo it means they used Red pepper flakes, most likely) and then there are some who call it Linguine Ai Frutti di Mare (fruit of the sea).

This is  fairly simple and the sauce is usually a lighter density than a meat sauce (i.e., use fresh tomatoes or chopped can, usually no paste and the sauce usually doesn't simmer more than it takes to reduce the sauce somewhat and/or to steam the shellfish cooked.).

Different recipes use different combinations of seafood.  My favorite is crab claws, mussels, clams, scallops, squid (calamari) and shrimp but you could use any firm fish in addition to whatever combo of shell fish you like."

Here's how it's made in San Francisco:
4 large garlic cloves, minced	1 (28- to 32-oz) can whole plum tomatoes, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped	1 cup bottled clam juice
1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California bay leaf	1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled	1 (1-lb) king crab leg, thawed if frozen
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes	18 small (2-inch) hard-shelled clams (1 1/2 lb) such as littlenecks, scrubbed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt	1 lb skinless red snapper or halibut fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon black pepper	1 lb large shrimp (16 to 20), shelled (tails and bottom segment of shells left intact) and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil	3/4 lb sea scallops, tough muscle removed from side of each if necessary
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice	1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste	3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
Garnish: shredded fresh basil leaves and small whole leaves
Accompaniment: focaccia or sourdough bread
Cook garlic, onions, bay leaf, oregano, and red pepper flakes with salt and pepper in oil in an 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil until reduced by about half, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, clam juice, and broth and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. While stew is simmering, hack crab leg through shell into 2- to 3-inch pieces with a large heavy knife. Add crab pieces and clams to stew and simmer, covered, until clams just open, 5 to 10 minutes, checking every minute after 5 minutes and transferring opened clams to a bowl with tongs or a slotted spoon. (Discard any unopened clams after 10 minutes.) Lightly season fish fillets, shrimp, and scallops with salt and add to stew, then simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf, then return clams to pot and gently stir in parsley and basil. Serve immediately in large soup bowls. Cooks' note: • The stew — without seafood — can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered. Bring to a simmer before adding seafood.