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    Home » Recipes » Seafood Recipes

    Easy Frutti di Mare Recipe

    Published: Aug 2, 2020 · Modified: Jul 13, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    1.8K shares
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    • Yummly
    4.96 from 91 votes
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    pinterest image for Frutti di Mare

    This is the best homemade Frutti Di Mare you’ll ever taste! You won’t believe how easy it is to make and how incredibly delicious this classic Italian seafood dish is.

    Made with fresh clams, mussels, scallops, and sweet succulent shrimp in a garlic wine sauce served over pasta is a meal you soon won’t forget.

    frutti di mare served over spaghetti with a sprig of basil in a white bowl

    There are as many different recipes as there are Italian grandmothers for Frutti di Mare. And every family has a favorite ingredient that makes it their own special version of this Italian classic.

    My Cioppino Recipe is a San Francisco version of this classic dish.

    What Ingredients do I use to make Frutti di Mare?

    ingredients to make frutta di mare in glass bowls on a wooden cutting board

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make a Frutti di Mare. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.

    Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Depending on what I have available and who I am serving will often dictate what goes into my interpretation of this wonderful dish.

    My wife enjoys white sauces more than red, so when I prepared this dish for her I kept it in more of an Aioli type sauce. Of course, if you prefer a red sauce or a touch of red feel free to adjust the recipe.

    This dish also makes a wonderful Fra Diavolo if your mood is for a little more on the spicy side.

    large saute pan with olive oil, garlic and chopped basil

    The first step is adding the olive oil, garlic, basil and red pepper flakes to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Let the garlic cook for about 30 seconds to release the flavor into the oil.

    uncooked seafood in large saute pan

    Then add the seafood to the hot pan and cover the pan. This will steam the mussels and clams open as well as cook the shrimp and scallops.

    Chef Dennis Tip:

    ** I thought searing the shrimp and scallops first might help, but it really wasn’t necessary and caused them to be just a little overcooked. My advice would be to par-cook the shrimp and scallops, then remove them from the pan before adding the mussels and clams to steam open. Then add them back to the pan to finish cooking once the mussels and clams have steamed open.

    cooked seafood in large saute pan

    I had a nice variety of seafood, but again feel free to add in what you have on hand.

    What other seafood can I add to Frutti de Mare?

    Some of my favorite additions to this dish are:

    • Calamari
    • Salmon, snapper, mahi-mahi or any thick cut fish you enjoy.
    • Crabmeat
    • Lobster

    Serve your Frutti di Mare over linguine and pour a little of the best olive oil you have on top for added flavor, and I know Italians don’t like cheese with seafood, but I always add some grated Romano cheese to my pasta dishes, even seafood.

    Frutta di mare served over spaghetti with a sprig of basil in a white bowl

    I do hope you give this dish a try, it’s really very easy to make, and you’ll have a restaurant-quality dinner for less than half the price of dining out at your favorite restaurant.

    Recipe FAQ’s:

    What does frutti de mare mean?

    Frutti de Mare literally translates into fruit of the sea. Which means all the delicious types of seafood found in the oceans and seas. When preparing frutti de mare, shellfish of every type, calamari and any type of fish are used in this Italian classic.

    Do you use marinara sauce to make fruiti de mare?

    Tomatoes or marinara are not typically used when making Frutti de mare, it’s made with olive oil, garlic and all the delicious juices from the seafood. Since it’s your dinner you can of course use marinara or tomatoes when you make it.

    What type of pasta do you serve frutti de mare with?

    Typically Frutti de mare is served over linguine, spaghetti, or bucatini. Angel hair is to fine to support the pasta and wider noodles or shapes will not complement the sauce and seafood.

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    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    partial view of Frutti di mare in a white bowl
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    4.96 from 91 votes

    The Best Frutti di Mare Recipe

    This classic Italian seafood dish will turn any night into a special occasion.  Perfect for your next date night, this restaurant-style dish is easier to make than you think and the flavors will amaze you.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 844kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 8 shrimp peeled and de-veined
    • 8 scallops
    • 20 mussels
    • 20 littleneck clams
    • 2 cloves garlic chopped
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 Tbsp Fresh Basil Chopped
    • ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • 2 ounces white wine optional
    • ⅔ lb spaghetti or any other long spaghetti style pasta
    US Customary – Metric
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    Instructions

    • Run cold water over the mussels and clams to clean them thoroughly. Refrigerate until needed
    • Once your seafood is prepped, get the pasta ready, Linguine or Spaghetti will work the best for this dish, it's a little too heavy for angel hair.  Follow instructions on the box, usually around 10-11 minutes for aldente.
      **When you begin cooking the pasta, start cooking the seafood. (you will need 8-10 minutes for the seafood, so time it so they get done about the same time)
    • In a large saute pan over medium-high heat add the olive oil, chopped garlic, basil and red pepper flakes. Let the garlic saute for about a minute.
    • Add the scallops and shrimp. Cook them till almost done and remove them from the pan. If you would like to add white wine to your sauce, add it now to deglaze the pan before adding the mussels and clams.
      *You can skip this step and add all the seafood at the same time.
    • Next add the mussels and clams, cover the pot and let cook for 5-6 minutes. All the mussels and clams should have opened by then.
      Add the shrimp and scallops back into the pan and reseason as needed.
    • If you have timed this right your linguine will be done just about the time your seafood is ready.  If your pasta still has time to cook remove the seafood from the heat and keep it covered. If needed you can give it a quick reheat as soon as the pasta is done.
    • Serve over pasta and enjoy!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 844kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 793mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 397IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 6mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    1. sapana

      August 31, 2020 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      I loved the flavors of garlic and basil with olive oil, there is nothing more amazing than that. This dish was a wonderful treat for sea food lovers like me

      Reply
    2. Gail Montero

      August 31, 2020 at 8:45 am

      5 stars
      Love how loaded with seafood this yummy dish was! Date night or not this frutti di mare dish is now hubby’s favorite

      Reply
    3. Ramona

      August 31, 2020 at 6:10 am

      5 stars
      This pasta frutti di mare was amazing and soo flavourful! This is the perfect dish for me and my family as we love seafood and i love cooking with it. I need to make this recipe again soon. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    4. Jacqueline Debono

      August 31, 2020 at 5:19 am

      5 stars
      Your pasta frutti di mare was delicious. We love eating seafood. And it really was much easier to make than many people think!

      Reply
    5. Kushigalu

      August 31, 2020 at 3:54 am

      5 stars
      This dish is something new to me, and was a perfect treat for all seafood lovers. Love the combo here. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
    6. Beth

      August 31, 2020 at 2:08 am

      5 stars
      I’ve always thought that seafood cooked like this gave an unforgettable flavor to pasta too, and your recipe was the best

      Reply
    7. Julie@ Running in a Skirt

      August 30, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      5 stars
      This is one of my favorite dishes out and I love how easy it was to make at home. SUch lovely flavors in this and I loved all the seafood in it.

      Reply
    8. Diana

      August 29, 2020 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      This was the first time making this recipe before and you made it so doable! My family loved the seafood!!!

      Reply
    9. Sophia

      August 29, 2020 at 4:26 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve been on a major pasta kick lately and this recipe had all my favorite seafood. It was a total winner! So tasty!

      Reply
    10. Amy Liu Dong

      August 29, 2020 at 5:23 am

      5 stars
      I love seafood and this one looks really delicious but sadly I am not able to eat this because of my allergy.
      But my family definitely loved this dish.

      Reply
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    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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