Frutti di mare is a flavorful, decadent pasta dish that’s full of mussels, clams, shrimp, scallops, and squid to make this incredibly delicious seafood pasta. The seafood is cooked in layers to add flavor as it cooks and to keep the different seafood varieties from overcooking in this tasty Italian dinner. It is then coated in a spicy marinara sauce for the perfect dish.
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Easy Frutti di Mare Recipe
Frutti di Mare means “Fruits of the Sea” in Italian. The name couldn’t be more perfect—this spicy pasta dish is full of mussels, scallops, shrimp, clams, and squid. It’s a seafood lover’s dream.
This pasta recipe is easy to make, too. Once you’ve got your seafood all prepped, you simply steam and add the sauce and noodles. It’s delicious!
Unsure of how to cook all the seafood? Don’t worry. I’ve got easy-to-follow, detailed directions and lots of tips.
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- Delicious. This incredible pasta is scented with rich wine and garlic to complement the seafood. It’s a perfect combo.
- Quick. My frutti di mare recipe only takes 30 minutes in total! That’s less time than it takes to order at a restaurant.
- Seafood Lover’s Delight. If you’re a big seafood fan, you will love this dish. Every bite is filled with delicious, juicy seafood.
🥘 Ingredients
Amazing frutti di mare has no shortage of delicious shellfish and seafood. I recommend using fresh, local seafood whenever possible.
- Fettuccine – 1 pound of fettuccine pasta. Long pasta like fettuccine is typically used in this dish. However, you can use whatever your favorite pasta shape is.
- Olive Oil – 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for this pasta recipe! It’s perfect for how light this dish is.
- Garlic – ½ tablespoon of garlic. Fresh garlic is best for this dish. I like it to be finely minced or thinly sliced.
- Mussels – 1 pound of mussels. You want these to be scrubbed clean and the beards removed (See Tips & Recipe Notes).
- Steamer Clams – 1 pound of steamer clams. You also want the clams to be scrubbed clean of sand or dirt.
- Dry White Wine – ⅓ cup of white wine. I prefer a crisp, dry wine like Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris best.
- Shrimp – ½ pound of shrimp. You want large shrimp that’s thawed, peeled, and deveined. You can leave the tails on if desired.
- Bay Scallops – ¼ pound of bay scallops. I prefer smaller, bite-sized bay scallops for the recipe.
- Squid – ¼ pound of squid. The heads should be sliced into rings and the bodies separated. You can have your fishmonger prepare the squid for you.
- Arrabbiata Sauce – 32 ounces of arrabbiata sauce. I love how the spicy arrabbiata sauce complements the seafood. I like to make my own easy arrabbiata sauce recipe, but you can buy your favorite brand.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Frutti di Mare
It takes just 30 minutes from start to finish to make this restaurant-quality Frutti di mare! Prepare your seafood ahead of time and it will cut out a lot of prep.
All you need is a large pot, a skillet, your measuring utensils, and some silicone tongs.
This recipe will make about 6 servings of frutti di mare.
Cook the Pasta
- Boil your pasta. Start by boiling a large pot of salted water and cook 1 pound (454 grams) of fettuccine according to the package instructions until it reaches an al dente (cooked but firm to the bite) texture. Drain and rinse under cool tap water, then set aside.
Add The Seafood
- Steam mussels and clams. Heat a large, deep skillet with 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of olive oil over medium heat until the oil just begins to shimmer. Then, add ½ tablespoon (4 grams) of garlic and sauté for 1 minute, and then add 1 pound (454 grams) of both mussels and steamer clams. Stir until well-coated.
- Finish steaming. Next, increase the heat of the pan to medium-high, then add ⅓ cup (79 milliliters) of dry white wine and cover the pan to steam the mussels and clams. Cook with the lid on for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the mussels and clams have opened up.
- Add shrimp. Uncover the skillet, then add ½ pound (227 grams) of shrimp and toss with the seafood. Cover and continue to steam for an additional 2 minutes or until the shrimp begin to curl up and turn pink and opaque.
- Add scallops and squid. Once the shrimp is done, uncover the skillet, then add ¼ pound (113 grams) of bay scallops and ¼ pound (113 grams) of prepared squid. Next, cover and cook until the squid tentacles curl up and the scallops are no longer transparent—about 1 minute.
Toss The Pasta With Sauce & Serve
- Finish and serve. When all the seafood is cooked, pour in 32 ounces (907 grams) of arrabbiata sauce, then stir to coat the seafood evenly and simmer over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes uncovered. Then, the cooked fettuccine to the seafood sauce and toss until well coated. Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed, then remove from heat and serve immediately.
🥗 What To Serve With
Frutti di Mare is served perfectly with a piece of crusty rustic bread or a slice from a cob loaf! This pasta dish also goes great with a light side salad or Caesar salad. Don’t forget the wine you added to the sauce – it’ll pair wonderfully with the pasta.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Want to make this dish gluten-free? You can easily substitute gluten-free fettuccine for regular fettuccine. You can also use any gluten-free pasta shape you might prefer!
- Make sure the mussels have their “beards” removed! The beard is a collection of small fibers that are attached to the mussel to help it adhere to solid surfaces. You should remove them, as they’re no fun to eat! To do so, simply hold the mussel and pull away the beard!
- Remove any mussels or clams that are open before cooking! These will not be safe to eat and should be discarded. You should also toss any mussels or clams that remain closed after cooking!
- When cooking the shrimp, discard any shrimp that have an off-color! Throw out any shrimp that does not curl when cooked. Make sure you are extra safe when cooking seafood!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
This pasta is best eaten the day of, but you may have extras. Store them in an airtight container, and you can keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You don’t want to leave any leftovers sitting out for too long. Seafood spoils easily.
Freezing
If desired, you can freeze leftovers. Put the leftover pasta into a freezer storage bag or airtight container to keep it fresh.
It’ll keep in your freezer for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to eat, let it defrost in the fridge. It’s important not to let the leftovers defrost on the counter to prevent the seafood from spoiling.
Reheating
The best way to reheat leftovers is on the stove. Add them to a skillet over medium heat and toss until reheated thoroughly.
You can add a splash of water, extra arrabbiata sauce, clam juice, or white wine if it looks a little dry. The dish should reach a temperature between 125°F (52°C) and 130°F (54°C)to be safe to eat!
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❓ Recipe FAQs
The best way to prevent seafood from being rubbery is to not overcook it! Seafood is very delicate, so sticking to the brief cooking times listed in the recipe will ensure that the seafood does not overcook!
If you think something is not cooking as it should (for example, if a clam won’t open or a shrimp won’t curl), it’s likely not safe to eat and should be tossed.
Clams and mussels release little bits of saltwater into the sauce as they open, so if you add extra salt to the dish, it might become too salty! Stick to salting just the pasta water and taste the sauce after it’s done. If you need to adjust the seasonings, you can do so then!
This dish is super versatile! You can add some lobster, crab, or fish (such as mahi mahi or salmon)! Just add these items at an appropriate time in the cooking process so that they are fully cooked but not overcooked.
🐟 🍥 Other Great Seafood Recipes
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📖 Recipe Card
Frutti di Mare
Ingredients
- 1 lbs fettuccine (or favorite pasta)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ½ tablespoon garlic (finely minced or thinly sliced)
- 1 lbs mussels (scrubbed, beards removed)
- 1 lbs steamer clams (scrubbed)
- ⅓ cup dry white wine (I like Pinot Grigio best, or Pinot Gris)
- ½ lbs shrimp (large shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined)
- ¼ lbs bay scallops
- ¼ lbs squid (sliced tentacle rings and bodies)
- 32 oz arrabbiata sauce (see recipe or use your favorite brand)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it reaches an al dente texture (firm to the bite). Drain, rinse under cool tap water, and set aside.
- Heat a large, deep skillet with the olive oil over medium heat until the oil just begins to shimmer. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute then stir in the mussels and clams until well coated.
- Increase heat to medium-high then add the dry white wine and cover the pan to steam the mussels and clams. Cook with the lid on for about 2-3 minutes, or until the mussels and clams have opened.
- Uncover the skillet, add the shrimp and toss with the seafood. Cover and continue to steam for an additional 2 minutes or until the shrimp begins curling up, turning pink and opaque.
- Once more remove the lid and add the final portions of seafood (squid and bay scallops). Cover and cook until the squid tentacles curl up and the scallops are no longer transparent, or about 1 minute.
- Pour in the arrabbiata sauce, stir to coat the seafood evenly, then simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes (uncovered). Add the pasta into the seafood sauce and toss until well coated. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Julie says
What an amazing Recipe!! Loved it!
Cass says
A very good Mediterranean recipe, I loved it!
Gail says
Wonderful dish
My husband loved it !
Renee Powella says
I made this for my family tonight and they loved it! Thanks for a great recipe that was easy to follow 😁