Linguine frutti di mare is a light and delicious seafood pasta dish. Made with a variety of fresh seafood, this recipe is perfect for seafood lovers!
Frutti di mare literally translates to mean "fruit of the sea" and typically contains several different kinds of seafood combined in a tomato sauce with pasta. This restaurant quality dish is perfect for summer or for your Italian feast of the seven fishes on Christmas Eve.
Serve with linguine frutti di mare with roasted grapes and olives, braided Italian pesto bread, and lemon ricotta cake.
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🦐 Ingredient notes
- Seafood - This frutti di mare contains five different kinds of seafood: clams, shrimp, mussels, scallops, and calamari. Use any combination of seafood or add other favorites such as lobster, white fish, or crab.
- Pasta - Frutti di mare or any other seafood pasta pairs best with a more delicate pasta, like linguine. Angel hair, spaghetti, or bucatini are other options that would work. Fresh pasta would take this dish over the top!
- Wine - A dry white wine such as chardonnay, pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc is best for this dish. Avoid anything sweet as it will throw off the flavor of the sauce.
- Sauce - My Italian gravy makes a rich delicious marinara for this recipe. Any homemade or store-bought marinara sauce will work.
📖 Substitutions and variations
- Wine - If you prefer to not cook with wine or don’t have it, substitute the white wine with seafood or chicken stock.
- Spice - The sauce can be made more spicy like a fra diavolo with extra red pepper flakes. Omit the red pepper for a more mellow sauce.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, cook the linguine according to the package instructions in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. Cook garlic and red pepper flakes in the olive oil for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned.
Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and then add the clams and mussels. Cover the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until the shells open.
Add the shrimp, re-cover, and cook for a couple more minutes until the shrimp are mostly pink and opaque. Add the calamari and scallops, re-cover, and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Stir in the Italian gravy and a little bit of the pasta water, then let the seafood simmer in the sauce for 2-3 minutes to warm it through.
Drain the cooked linguine from the water after it's done cooking and toss it with the seafood sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
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⭐ Expert tips
- Make sure to prep your seafood before cooking. Soak clams and mussels in cold water for 15 minutes to remove any excess sand. Any with cracked or broken shells need to be discarded as well as any that don't shut when tapped on. Peel and devein shrimp or buy them prepped this way. Shrimp tails can be left on if desired. I like using both the tubes and tentacles from the calamari. If you prefer, one or the other, that’s fine and they can be omitted. Tubes should be sliced into smaller pieces.
- Discard any clams or mussels that don't open during the cooking process in case they are no longer good.
- Always cook pasta in boiling salted water to help flavor the pasta. Add a bit of the pasta cooking liquid to the seafood sauce for even more flavor to the dish.
🥡 Storage suggestions
Leftover linguine frutti di mare will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium low heat. Add a small amount of stock or marinara if the pasta is dry.
🍝 More Italian recipes
If you loved these linguine frutti di mare, check out these other Italian recipes that I know you will love too!
📖 Recipe
Linguine Frutti di Mare
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic approximately 3-4 cloves
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup dry white wine chardonnay, pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- ½ pound clams soaked in water to remove sand
- ⅓ pound mussels soaked in water to remove sand
- ½ pound shrimp peeled and deveined (tails optional)
- ½ pound calamari tentacles and sliced tubes
- ⅓ pound jumbo scallops cut in quarters
- 2 cups italian gravy or marinara
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- First, cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat with the olive oil.
- Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the clams and mussels. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes until all of the shells open.
- Add the shrimp, re-cover the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes until they are mostly pink and opaque.
- Add the calamari and scallops, re-cover, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the Italian gravy or marinara along with a bit of the pasta cooking liquid and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes to heat through. Discard any mussels or clams whose shells did not open.
- While the sauce is simmering, drain the cooked linguine from the remaining liquid.
- Toss the pasta with the seafood sauce and serve immediately, garnished with parsley if desired.
Video
Notes
- Seafood Prep - Soak clams and mussels in cold water for 15 minutes to remove any excess sand. Any with cracked or broken shells need to be discarded as well as any that don't shut when tapped on. Peel and devein shrimp or buy them prepped this way. Shrimp tails can be left on, if desired. I like using both the tubes and tentacles from the calamari. If you prefer, one or the other, they can be omitted. Tubes should be sliced into smaller pieces.
Substitutions and Variations
- Pasta - Use angel hair, spaghetti, or bucatini in place of the linguine.
- Spice - Increase red pepper flakes for more spice or omit for a more mellow sauce.
- Wine - White wine can be replaced with seafood or chicken stock.
- Seafood - Any variety of seafood can be substituted or used in the pasta depending on your liking.
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