About This Italian Seafood Pasta Recipe

Linguine allo scoglio is a delicious Italian seafood dish. A classic Mediterranean cuisine, the clams, mussels, prawns, and squid are all cooked to perfection with fresh cherry tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil, making this pasta a true masterpiece.

Like any traditional recipe, there are variations of this too — a bit like spaghetti with clams or mussels. There is the white variant and the one with cherry tomatoes. There are those who add baby octopus or those who omit the prawns.

This version is an unbeatable recipe I have inherited from my family that’ll help you make a state-of-the-art linguine allo scoglio, as good as in an Italian restaurant!

The steps to make this lovely Italian kitchen classic are quick and easy. Clams, mussels, squid, and prawns are the main ingredients for the rich sauce that envelops the pasta cooked al dente. For the pasta, go for linguine, tagliolini, or spaghetti of the thickness you prefer; the important thing is to choose a long-shaped pasta to better absorb the delicious sauce that accompanies it.

Once the sauce has been prepared, cook the pasta in the same pan with the sauce to allow the linguine to soak up all the flavors of the sea! The dry white wine blended with seafood gives a light and pleasant aromatic note, and the chopped fresh parsley finally completes this timeless recipe.

Perfect for a summer evening with friends as well as a Christmas Eve family dinner, this linguine allo scoglio is a delicious Italian classic offering unparalleled flavor!

What You Need for This Italian Seafood Pasta Recipe

Ingredient Notes

• Mussels: I like to use frozen pre-cooked mussels because it reduces the cooking time, and you don’t need to clean and debeard them.
• Clams: I also like to use pre-cooked clams to reduce the cooking time. The frozen pre-cooked clams are a great alternative to fresh ones.
• Prawns: As prawns cook very quickly, I’ve used fresh ones. I like to clean, peel, and devein them before cooking, but I like to keep their heads because they are full of flavor.
• Squid: I have used a fresh squid that I have previously cleaned and cut into slices/rings.
• Cherry Tomatoes: They provide sweetness, juiciness, and a little bit of acidity to the dish.
• Pasta: I like to use linguine whenever I cook seafood pasta because their shape and thickness fit this dish very well.
• White Wine: I have used a dry white wine that gives a light and pleasant aromatic note. Always use good quality wine in your cooking as it will affect the flavor of your dish.
• Garlic: I like to use fresh garlic to flavor the extra virgin olive oil.
• Red Chili: Because I like a touch of spiciness, I’ve used fresh red chili from which I have removed the seeds.
• Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley is the finishing touch for this delicious dish.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Pasta: I have used linguine, but you are welcome to experiment with other types of pasta you like. I don’t recommend using short pasta like penne in a seafood pasta dish.
• White Wine: You can replace the wine with brandy or cognac to add an even more aromatic note.
• Mussels: I have used green mussels because they are the most common in this area. But both black and green mussels are great for this dish.
• Prawns: They can be substituted with shrimps.

FAQs

How can I store this seafood pasta?

I recommend eating linguine allo scoglio immediately. However, you can refrigerate it in a glass container covered for up to one day. I don’t recommend freezing it.

Can I make this recipe without alcohol?

Yes. While the alcohol will evaporate completely and leave just a lovely aromatic note behind, you may leave it out if you wish and replace it with broth or water.

Print Recipe

Easy Italian Seafood Pasta: Linguine allo Scoglio

Author: Ribana Hategan

Cooking Method: Sautéing

Cuisine: Italian

Courses: Main Course

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 15 min Cook Time 30 min Total Time 45 mins

Description

Creamy, delicious, and very easy to make, this classic linguine allo scoglio is packed with wonderfully fresh Italian flavors!

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

Servings

• 200 g / 7 oz. linguine
• 200 g / 7 oz. clams, frozen pre-cooked, thawed
• 200 g / 7 oz. mussels, frozen pre-cooked, thawed
• 200 g / 7 oz. squid, cleaned and cut into slices/rings
• 200 g / 7 oz. prawns, cleaned, peeled and deveined
• 100 g / 3.5 oz. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 100 ml / ½ cup dry white wine
• fresh parsley finely chopped
• salt & black pepper

How To Make Italian Seafood Pasta Step By Step

1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil and the garlic in a large pan, then add the slices/rings of squid.

   

2. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the white wine and let it cook for another 4-5 minutes until the wine completely evaporates.

   

3. Add the cherry tomatoes, red chili, and sauté for about 2 minutes.

   

4. Add the clams, mussels, and prawns, add a little bit of water if needed, season with salt and pepper, cover with the lid, cook for 5-6 minutes, and then set aside.

   

5. In a large pot with boiling water, add a generous amount of coarse salt, add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions until near al dente. Reserve some pasta cooking water.

   

6. Remove a few shelled seafood and prawns from the sauce, and drain the pasta directly into the pan with the seafood sauce. Add a little bit of pasta cooking water, and cook over medium-low heat for the pasta to be al dente, around 1-2 minutes.

   Add the remaining shelled seafood and prawns, taste, and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle finely chopped fresh parsley, give it a good stir, and serve!

   

   

Note

• You can make this recipe using fresh or frozen seafood or a mix as I did.
• When cooking the pasta, make sure you don’t overcook it because overcooked pasta tends to form a sticky dough in the digestive tract, which blocks digestion.
• Cooking the pasta in the same pan with the seafood sauce is a must because the pasta will soak up all that deliciousness and become incredibly rich in flavor and creamy.