Frutti di Mare Pasta (Seafood Spaghetti Recipe)
This Frutti di Mare Pasta is the Italian coast in a bowl, and honestly, it’s one of the most impressive things you can put on a dinner table in 40 minutes. Clams, mussels, shrimp, and calamari get cooked in stages in a spicy San Marzano tomato sauce built on white wine and Calabrian chili paste; that last ingredient is the detail that sets this version apart. It brings a deep, fruity, slow-building heat that red pepper flakes simply can’t replicate. Gather your favorite people, open a cold bottle of white wine, and pull up a chair.
I grew up as the daughter of a second-generation fishmonger, which means seafood was never intimidating in our house; it was just dinner. Frutti di mare pasta is one of those dishes I feel deeply connected to because every component matters, and knowing how to handle each one properly is what makes it sing. The clams and mussels steaming open directly in the San Marzano sauce is what gives this dish its soul; their briny juices release into the tomatoes and create a depth of flavor that you simply can’t build any other way. This is the frutti di mare pasta I’ve been making for years, and it’s the one worth learning. If you love seafood pasta, you’ll also want to try my Linguine alle Vongole, Spaghetti allo Scoglio, and Pasta with Mussels.
Ingredients
A NOTE ON THE SEAFOOD
Growing up around a fish counter means I learned early that how you treat seafood before it ever hits the pan is what separates a great dish from a disappointing one. I want to share a few things here so you can feel completely confident making this!
The clams. Give them a 20-minute soak in cold salted water before you do anything else. This draws out any sand hiding inside the shell. Skip it and that grit ends up distributed through the entire sauce; you’ll taste it in every bite. It takes almost no effort and makes a world of difference.
The mussels. They need to be alive when they go in. Tap any open ones before cooking; if they don’t close, they’re done and need to go. Check the shells too; anything cracked or broken goes straight in the bin. Once you know what to look for, this takes about 30 seconds and you’ll never think twice about cooking mussels again!
The calamari. This is the one to watch. Add it last, give it 2-3 minutes, and pull it the second it turns opaque. Perfectly cooked calamari has this wonderful springy quality; a little snap when you bite in that’s so satisfying. The moment it goes past that, it turns tough and rubbery. Stay close and trust your eyes.
Step by Step Instructions
- Sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Deglaze with white wine and let it reduce for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the San Marzano tomatoes, basil, oregano, Calabrian chili paste, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Nestle the clams and mussels into the sauce, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the shells open. Discard any that don’t.
5. Add the shrimp and calamari. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are pink and the calamari is tender.
6. Toss in the cooked spaghetti, stir in the butter, and loosen with reserved pasta water as needed. Garnish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it! Tag @alliehagerty on Instagram and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
Frutti di Mare Pasta (Seafood Spaghetti Recipe)
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large sauté pan with lid
- tongs
- wooden spoon
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Colander
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 1 28-ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste optional
- 2 ½ tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
For the Seafood
- 16 large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 16 mussels scrubbed and debearded
- 10 littleneck clams scrubbed
- 10 ounces calamari cleaned and sliced into rings
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Pasta
- 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
- Salted water for boiling
- 1 ½ cups reserved pasta water
For Garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano optional
- Fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Get your pasta water going first. Add 2 teaspoons of salt — it should taste like the sea. Cook the spaghetti until just al dente, it finishes in the sauce. Before you drain it, pull out 1½ cups of pasta water and set it aside. You’ll need it.1 pound spaghetti, Salted water for boiling, 1 ½ cups reserved pasta water
- In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Watch it closely — garlic burns fast and bitter garlic will ruin the sauce.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Pour in the white wine and let it bubble and reduce for 2 minutes. Then add the San Marzano tomatoes, basil, oregano, Calabrian chili paste, salt, and pepper. Drop the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.¾ cup dry white wine, 1 28-ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste, 2 ½ tablespoons fresh basil
- Nestle the clams and mussels into the sauce and cover the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes. They’re done when the shells open. Any that stay shut get discarded — no exceptions.16 mussels, 10 littleneck clams
- Add the shrimp and calamari, seasoned with salt and pepper. Two to three minutes is all they need. The shrimp should be pink and the calamari just tender. Pull them off the heat the second they’re done — calamari goes rubbery fast.16 large shrimp, 10 ounces calamari, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the spaghetti straight into the sauce and toss everything together. Stir in the butter, then add pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats every strand. Plate immediately and finish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.3 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Fresh lemon juice
Notes
- Purge the clams before anything else. Place them in cold salted water for at least 20 minutes before cooking. This draws out any sand hiding inside the shell; skip this step and that grit ends up in the sauce and you’ll taste it in every single bite.
- Check every mussel. Tap any open ones before cooking; if they don’t close, discard them. Check for cracked shells too. Once you know what to look for it takes seconds, and you’ll cook mussels with complete confidence every time.
- Add the seafood in stages. Clams and mussels go in first since they take the longest. Shrimp and calamari go in last. This is what keeps everything perfectly cooked rather than tough and overcooked.
- Watch the calamari closely. Two to three minutes maximum; pull it the second it turns opaque. Great calamari has a springy, tender snap to it; overcooked calamari loses that entirely. It happens fast so stay close!
- Storage: Frutti di mare pasta is best eaten the day it’s made; the seafood doesn’t hold well. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container for up to 1 day and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water.