Take your pasta dinner to the next level of deliciousness with this frutti di mare recipe! Picture this: fresh seafood and spaghetti pasta tossed in rich, spicy sauce. Yum. Without a doubt, this delicious Italian seafood is a godsend for seafood and pasta lovers like me. Served with a drizzle of olive oil, basil, and parsley, I can confidently say — my version tastes so much better than any restaurant version.
Frutti di mare literally means “fruit of the sea” in Italian. A befitting moniker, I must say, as it’s made with the freshest seafood you can find. For my seafood spaghetti recipe, I used clams, mussels, shrimp, and squid tentacles. BUT — feel free to incorporate any seafood that excites your taste buds! You can add bay scallops, lobster tails, or any shellfish you like. I tossed all these sumptuous seafood together with al dente spaghetti pasta in a homemade spicy arrabbiata sauce. But if you don’t have spaghetti pasta, you can use fettuccine, cavatappi, or fusilli instead. I’ve tried making linguine frutti di mare before, and it tasted just as good as when using spaghetti.
When making this seafood spaghetti, I didn’t add the seafood to the skillet all at once. This method will prevent them from overcooking. First, I sautéed the clams and mussels with a wine sauce made of white wine, olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Then, I added the shrimps, followed by the squid tentacles. To make the best frutti di mare pasta, ensure that you coat everything with the arrabbiata sauce. As a final touch, I finished this seafood pasta with a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Bottom line, spaghetti ai frutti di mare is truly a seafood lover’s delight. It’s the perfect dish for a romantic date night or when you have friends coming over. Try setting it out at your next fancy dinner party, potluck, or picnic. It’s gonna be a TOTAL hit!
How To Make Seafood Spaghetti (Frutti di Mare)
Toss fresh seafood, white wine, and pasta into rich arrabbiata sauce to make this easy Frutti di Mare. It’s perfect for date nights and fancy dinner parties!
Ingredients
- ¾ lb spaghetti
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 1 lb clams and mussels, (mixed), cleaned well
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 lb wild shrimp, peeled
- ½ lb squid tentacles
- sea salt, to taste
- arrabiata tomato sauce*, made in advance, (see Recipe Notes for recipe)
To Serve:
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, (or chopped Italian parsley)
- 1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the salty pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat up the largest skillet on medium-low heat. Add olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir quickly and make sure not to burn the garlic.
- Add in the clams and mussels and toss them around.
- Pour in the white wine and cover with a lid. Cook for about 1 minute or so until the clams start to open.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet with clams and give it a stir. Cover and cook for 1 minute or so.
- Once all the clams and mussels have opened and the shrimp is almost cooked, add the squid tentacles. Cook for another 30 seconds or so until they curl up.
- Season to taste with sea salt, if needed.
- Meanwhile, warm up the sauce in a saucepan.
- Pour the sauce over the seafood and toss to coat well.
- Add the cooked spaghetti pasta to the skillet with the seafood and toss to coat in the sauce. Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water if needed to stretch out the sauce.
- Transfer seafood spaghetti to a serving platter, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the basil and parsley.
- Serve with lemon wedges on the side, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- *Check out Arrabiata Sauce Recipe for the sauce.
- Remember that shellfish will spit out a lot of seawater during cooking, so wait till the end to season.
Nutrition
- Sugar: 3g
- :
- Calcium: 38mg
- Calories: 474kcal
- Carbohydrates: 68g
- Fat: 15g
- Fiber: 4g
- Iron: 2mg
- Monounsaturated Fat: 10g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
- Potassium: 276mg
- Protein: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Sodium: 16mg
- Vitamin A: 260IU
- Vitamin C: 16mg
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