The sea is still. The sun is low. Somewhere nearby, a pan is sizzling with garlic and white wine, and the whole kitchen smells like a summer evening on the Adriatic coast.
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Pasta of the Rocks
Pasta allo scoglio — literally "pasta of the rocks" — is one of Italy's most beloved seafood dishes. It's a recipe that doesn't ask for much: just the freshest clams, mussels, and shrimp you can find, a good handful of parsley, and a glass of cold white wine to cook with (and another to sip while you stir).
This is summer in a bowl. It's the kind of dish you make on a Friday evening when the week has been long and you want to feel like you're somewhere beautiful. It's generous, a little messy, and entirely worth it.
There is no better way to end a summer day than with a bowl of pasta and the smell of the sea still on your skin.
— BellissimaThe Ingredients
Serves 4.
The Pasta
- 400 g spaghetti or linguine
- Coarse salt, for the water
Seafood
- 500 g fresh clams (vongole)
- 500 g fresh mussels
- 200 g prawns or shrimp
- 200 g squid or baby cuttlefish
For the Base
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 fresh chilli pepper
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
For the Sauce
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 100 ml dry white wine
- Salt and black pepper
The white version — without tomatoes — is equally classic and even more delicate. If you love clean, mineral flavours, skip the tomatoes entirely. You'll get a golden, luminous sauce that tastes purely of the sea.
Preparing the Shellfish
Purge the Clams
Soak them in cold salted water (30 g salt per litre) for at least 2 hours, changing the water once. Discard any that are already open.
Clean the Mussels
Scrub the shells with an abrasive sponge and pull out the beard. Discard any broken or open ones.
Prep the Rest
Peel the prawns, leaving the tail on for presentation. Clean the squid and slice into rings.
Building the Sauce
Open the Mussels and Clams
In a wide pan with a drizzle of oil and one garlic clove, cook them over high heat with the lid on. As soon as they open (2–3 minutes), remove and filter the cooking liquid. This is liquid gold — don't waste a drop.
Make the Soffritto
In the same pan, gently colour 2 garlic cloves and the chilli in generous olive oil. Add the squid and cook for 3 minutes.
Deglaze and Build
Add the prawns, pour in the white wine. Let the alcohol evaporate, then add the cherry tomatoes (lightly crushed) and the filtered shellfish liquid. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Bring It All Together
Return the mussels and clams to the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Pasta & the Final Touch
Cook the Pasta
Cook in plenty of salted water, draining it 2 minutes before it's fully done.
Finish in the Pan
Add the pasta directly to the seafood sauce over high heat. Splash in a ladle of pasta water and toss vigorously until the sauce is silky and clings to every strand.
Finish with Parsley
Lots of it, freshly chopped. Serve immediately, in warm bowls.
The Secret to a Silky Sauce
- Pasta water is starchy and magical — it's what transforms a loose sauce into something glossy and restaurant-worthy.
- A final drizzle of cold olive oil off the heat adds an extra layer of richness.
Notes from the Kitchen
The freshness of your seafood is everything. If you're not near the coast, visit a good fishmonger on the morning you plan to cook — this is not a dish for day-old fish from the back of the supermarket shelf.
For pasta shape, spaghetti and linguine are traditional — they carry the sauce along their length rather than trapping it inside. For wine, reach for a Vermentino, a Greco di Tufo, or a Falanghina. Something mineral, cold, and bright.
And if you want to make it feel truly special — as in the photo above — add a few whole langoustines or scampi. Cook them separately and lay them across the nest of pasta just before serving. It's pure drama, and entirely worth it.
Good food is never just about the recipe. It's about the light in the kitchen, the people at the table, and the slowness of a beautiful evening.
— Bellissima