Scialatielli ai Frutti di Mare
The quintessential summer classic from the Amalfi Coast: thick, fresh scialatielli pasta tossed with an abundance of fresh mussels, sweet clams, and burst cherry tomatoes in a glossy white wine and garlic sea reduction.
Free, no account needed.
Did you cook it? Add your photo
So it lives in your cookbook with your story, not mine.
Add my photo
35 min
Easy
Italiana (Campania / Amalfitana)
3 servings
The story behind
You seriously have absolutely no idea what an incredible, deeply rewarding and fresh seafood masterpiece this turns out to be—it tastes exactly like a warm Mediterranean breeze hitting your face! The very first time I experienced proper scialatielli ai frutti di mare was at a restaurant carved into a dramatic cliffside in Positano. I was completely fascinated to discover that scialatielli is a signature pasta of the region; shorter, thicker, and flatter than traditional spaghetti, it is traditionally made with a touch of milk and fresh basil in the dough, which allows it to absorb seafood juices in a mind-blowing way. The head chef proudly shared with me the golden secret to failure-proofing the sauce and getting that glossy, restaurant-quality emulsion without heavy creams: you must steam open the clams and mussels in a separate covered pan first, pass their liquor through a fine sieve to eliminate sand, and utilize that pure briny elixir to finish cooking the pasta strands. Personally, I absolutely love whipping this up on hot summer days because it comes together in the blink of an eye. It looks identical to the photo layout when you bed the golden noodles underneath and allow the opened bivalves to sit proudly across the surface, flecked with sweet burst cherry tomatoes and a heavy shower of fresh chopped cilantro, exactly like the presentation in Scialatielli ai Frutti di Mare.jpg. Pair with a bone-dry, ice-cold glass of Italian white wine like Fiano di Avellino for a legendary match. You will fall in love with it completely!
Instructions
-
1Ensure your fresh clams are fully purged of sand by submerging them in a deep bowl of cold water with a tablespoon of salt for 30 minutes; drain and rinse thoroughly under running tap water.
-
2In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, combine a tablespoon of olive oil, one whole garlic clove, and a tiny splash of water. Toss in the cleaned mussels and clams, slap the lid on, and cook over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan dynamically, until all shells pop open. Remove from heat, discard any unopened shells, transfer the seafood to a bowl, and strain the residual pan liquor through a coffee filter or fine sieve to remove any micro-sand particles. Save this rich seafood broth.
-
3Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a lighter pinch of salt than usual (the seafood liquid is already intensely briny) and cook the scialatielli pasta, pulling it out 2 minutes before it hits full al dente texture.
-
4While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide deep skillet over medium heat. Sauté the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute, ensuring the garlic releases fragrance without browning.
-
5Drop the cherry tomatoes into the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, using your wooden spoon to gently pop a few so their sweet starches bleed into the oil matrix.
-
6Pour in the dry white wine and let it bubble over high heat for 2 minutes to flash-evaporate the harsh alcohol vapors.
-
7Stream the reserved strained seafood broth into the skillet and drop the heat to low, allowing it to fuse with the tomatoes.
-
8Transfer your undercooked pasta directly into the skillet with the bubbling tomato and wine glaze. Toss dynamically over high heat for 2 minutes; the starchy pasta surface will bond with the olive oil and sea broth, developing a beautifully thick, restaurant-grade glossy coating.
-
9Toss the steamed clams and mussels back into the pan for the final 30 seconds just to heat them through. Shut off the heat, dump in the fresh chopped cilantro, toss one last time, and plate hot in shallow bowls, arranging the glorious open shells across the top to match Scialatielli ai Frutti di Mare.jpg to perfection.
Share this recipe
Rate this recipe
Sign in to the app to rate
You might also like
🍊
Save this recipe to your Zest
Add photos when you cook it, write your story, and share it with a Moment Card.
Create my free account