Italians love seafood pasta.
At 7,600 km in length, coastline of Italy is the 14th longest in the world and fifth longest in Europe. The country has its coastline along the Ionian, Adriatic, Ligurian, and the Tyrrhenian seas. It also has coastlines along the Strait of Sicily and the Sea of Sardinia. Plus Italy also has several islands like Sicily, Sardinia, Elba, and others.
So, it’s not surprising that seafood is a popular staple in the Italian diet. And, pasta is what Italians love to pair their seafood with most! Seafood pasta recipes are really popular during the summer when many Italians take their holidays by the coast.
However, seafood is also traditional on holiday menus, especially days of abstinence from meat, like on Fridays in Lent and on Christmas Eve. Italians call these meatless days ‘giorni di magro’ (meaning lean days). And, almost every Italian family has seafood on the table on Christmas Eve!
32 Seafood Pasta Recipes worth trying!
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1) Linguine pasta alle vongole
Linguine alle vongole is an iconic Neapolitan seafood pasta dish that tops the list of Italy’s beloved seafood pasta recipes. This particular recipe is cherished for its generous use of garlic and peperoncino, which brings out the exquisite flavors of the clams.
2) Pasta with Calamari and Tomatoes
Whether you’re a calamari enthusiast or trying it for the first time, this dish offers a rich and flavorful experience with just a few simple ingredients. With a total preparation time of 40 minutes, this seafood pasta recipe is perfect for quick weeknight meals or romantic date nights.
3) Creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta
This pasta dish elegantly combines the delicate flavor of smoked salmon with a creamy sauce, creating a luxurious and comforting meal. The addition of smoked salmon brings a touch of sophistication, making it perfect for special occasions or elevating a weeknight dinner into a gourmet experience.
4) Fregola with Clams (Authentic Sardinian Recipe)
This delightful seafood pasta recipe is unique to Sardinia. It’s made with fregola pasta and small clams and is a well-known Sardinian pasta dish served in many seaside restaurants on the island. This lovely seafood dish is much simpler than it appears, using very few ingredients.
5) Baked fish ravioli from Liguria
This homemade seafood ravioli recipe from Liguria is a perfect elegant dish for special occasions. The ravioli are filled with baked white fish such as bream and snapper, along with herbs, garlic, a little Parmigiano, and eggs.
Then, ravioli are served in a delicious seafood sauce containing calamari, mussels, clams, and shrimp.
6) Pasta with Tuna Carbonara
This tuna carbonara pasta recipe is a modern twist on the classic carbonara, substituting traditional guanciale with tuna. This contemporary Italian variation of a beloved dish offers a delicious seafood flavor. Moreover, it is a speedy and convenient family meal option.
7) Spaghetti with mussels alla Tarantina
Spaghetti with mussels alla tarantina provides an authentic taste of Puglia, combining mussels with a spicy peperoncino-infused tomato sauce. In fact, this dish promises to transport you to the sun-drenched shores of Southern Italy in just under an hour, offering a simple preparation that results in a rich and flavorful meal you won’t forget.
8) Spaghetti ‘Mare e Monti’ Recipe from Le Marche
Spaghetti mare e monti is a traditional Italian seafood pasta dish from the Marche region in central Italy. The region boasts a beautiful coastline on the Adriatic Sea and is also known for its mountains and hills. The local cuisine is influenced by both the sea and the land, and this dish exemplifies that by combining various mushrooms and calamari (squid) in a delicious spaghetti dish.
9) Pasta with Octopus alla Genovese
Octopus alla Genovese stands out as one of the finest seafood pasta recipes featuring octopus that I have come across. While it requires a couple of hours to prepare, this Neapolitan speciality is surprisingly straightforward, needing only a few ingredients. This dish is an excellent way to introduce the flavors of Naples and the Mediterranean to your table.
10) Olive and Tuna Spaghetti all’Ascolana
Olive and Tuna Spaghetti all’Ascolana is a quick and simple recipe from the Marche region of Italy, particularly the province of Ascoli Piceno. This dish features the region’s famous large green Ascolana olives plus, high-quality tuna in olive oil, creating a robust and flavorful sauce. In addition, you will need tomato passata, anchovies, garlic, and a hint of peperoncino for a slight kick.
11) Italian fish soup with angel hair pasta
This Italian fish soup with angel hair pasta is based on a traditional fish soup from the Italian riviera in Liguria. It uses a seafood broth with fish, large prawns, and aromatic ingredients like saffron and dried porcini mushrooms.
The soup includes angel hair pasta that’s crisped slightly in olive oil for a delightful texture contrast. It is really perfect for those seeking a traditional and flavorful seafood pasta soup.
12) Creamy Salmon Lemon Pasta
This creamy lemon salmon pasta is a delightful combination of pasta, succulent salmon, and a creamy lemon sauce. It includes basic ingredients and you can prepare it in just 30 minutes. In fact, this is an ideal choice for nights when you crave a gourmet meal without wanting to spend hours in the kitchen.
13) Pasta with Zucchini and Shrimp
This mezze maniche pasta with zucchini and shrimp is a delightful and sophisticated Italian seafood pasta recipe. It stars thinly sliced zucchini and pleasantly spicy, garlicky shrimp. This recipe is quick, easy, and perfect for weeknights, as it takes no time at all to prepare!
14) Homemade Smoked Salmon Cannelloni (Manicotti)
Homemade smoked salmon cannelloni is a delicious alternative to the more traditional Italian cannelloni filled with ground meat or spinach and ricotta. This recipe is easy to prepare, incredibly delicious, and it is perfect for entertaining or as part of a holiday menu.
15) Pasta with Swordfish from Sicily
This stunning Sicilian seafood pasta recipe combines swordfish with ripe cherry tomatoes, fried eggplant, aromatic herbs, and lemon. This is a simple and tasty dish thatyou can have on the tables in under an hour. plus, it will really impress your guests!
16) Farfalle Pasta with Prawns and Orange
This fresh and summery pasta dish features farfalle (bow-tie) pasta with prawns marinated in orange and fennel, delivering a delightful blend of flavors. It’s perfect for seafood enthusiasts and perfect for summer dining.
17) Canned Tuna Pasta with Capers
This canned tuna pasta recipe is so easy and provides a quick, flavorful meal using common pantry ingredients. The sauce is made with canned tuna, capers, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil, giving it a fabulous fresh and summery taste. This dish is reflective of the vibrant cuisine of the Aeolian Islands.
18) Easy Italian squid pasta recipe from Abruzzo
Pasta with squid is a popular dish in Italy, particularly in the coastal central and southern regions. Of course, recipes differ from region to region, not only in the way they cook the squid but the type of pasta they use varies too.
The following recipe is an easy Italian squid pasta recipe from the Abruzzo region. It calls for just a handful of fresh ingredients and is seriously delicious.
19) Pasta with mussels and beans
Pasta and beans are a classic traditional dish in Italian home cooking. In fact, it is a rustic dish made throughout the country, with each region having its own recipe. One of the most famous versions is this pasta with mussels and beans, also known as Neapolitan pasta and beans.
20) Italian salt cod (baccalà) and porcini tagliatelle
This delightful salt cod pasta from Abruzzo uses cloves, nutmeg, and lemon zest, all of which give this seafood pasta recipe an exceptionally rich flavor profile. If this is your first time using salt cod, you will be in for a delicious surprise.
21) Farfalle pasta with smoked salmon & zucchini
This farfalle pasta dish blends the rich flavors of smoked salmon and zucchini with the aromatic presence of garlic, fresh ginger, and orange zest, creating a creamy seafood pasta sauce. Perfect for special occasions like Mother’s Day or even just for a quick lunch or dinner.
22) Italian Cold Spaghetti Salad with Shrimp
This easy cold spaghetti salad recipe is from the Central Italian region of Marche. The dish consists of pre-cooked shrimps or prawns, arugula and cherry tomatoes, which are tossed with spaghetti and then dressed in a simple oil and vinegar dressing.
This type of pasta salad is a favorite among Italians, who enjoy bringing it to beach picnics. It’s also great as a light lunch or a dish for a potluck or buffet.
23) Poached salmon and asparagus lasagne al forno
This delightful baked seafood pasta dish combines the freshness of seasonal asparagus with delicately poached salmon, creating a delicious meal. This lasagna is an excellent meal for Mother’s Day or other spring occasions. It’s also a great way to use any leftover poached or baked salmon, making it not only tasty but also resourceful.
24) Sicilian pasta with sardines.
Sicilian pasta with sardines and wild fennel (pasta con le sarde) is a delicious historic fusion of ingredients from Arab and Mediterranean cultures and a reminder of Sicily’s fascinating history. This authentic seafood pasta recipe is a delicious example of seafood in Sicilian cuisine.
25) Smoked Salmon Pasta Rosettes (rolls)
These divine baked smoked salmon pasta rosettes are wonderful for impressing guests. This recipe is based on a traditional pasta bake from Emilia-Romagna and calls for lasagne sheets, stracchino (crescenza) cheese, smoked salmon (if possible sockeye salmon), parsley, béchamel, and grated Parmigiano. It’s perfect as an appetizer, starter, or main course.
26) Anchovy Pasta Recipe from Naples
Among the wonderfully simple traditional pasta recipes from Southern Italy, this anchovy pasta from Naples stands out as a true gem. Locally celebrated as spaghetti alla Gennaro, this dish holds a cherished place in Neapolitan hearts, as it is named in honor of the city’s patron saint.
27) Sardinian Lorighittas Pasta with Prawns and Scampi
Featuring a unique type of pasta called Sardinian lorighittas, combined with shrimp and scampi, this Italian seafood pasta recipe offers a dining experience similar to what you would find in fine Mediterranean restaurants.
This dish is particularly special because Sardinia is the only part of Italy where you can have it made for you! However, you can use other types of pasta instead if you prefer.
28) Pasta with Black Olive Pesto and Tuna
This fusilli with black olive pesto and tuna recipe features a rich blend of Southern Italian flavors, including black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and canned tuna.
Originating from Calabria, a region famous for its olive production, the dish uses fusilli pasta to better capture and hold the homemade olive pesto and tuna sauce. It’s a flavorful, easy-to-make seafood pasta perfect for a quick meal or a cold pasta salad.
29) Italian Shrimp and Asparagus Farfalle Pasta Recipe
This shrimp and asparagus pasta is wonderfully simple to make and ideal for warm-weather lunches or light dinners. It combines fresh asparagus and succulent shrimp with farfalle pasta, creating a refreshing and fulfilling meal. You can also serve it at room temperature as a pasta salad.
30) Italian Prawn Saffron Linguine Recipe
This rich, creamy, and luxurious prawn (jumbo shrimp) saffron linguine pasta is an excellent recipe for entertaining and special occasions. Pasta, saffron, and seafood are classic combination that is very popular in Italy
31) Paccheri with fresh tuna ragu
This paccheri pasta recipe with fresh tuna is a classic seafood recipe from Sicily that you can make in under 30 minutes. It uses a delicious combination of white wine, lemon, and pan-fried tomatoes that complement the fresh tuna incredibly well.
32) Calamarata Pasta with Stewed Cuttlefish and Peas
Stewed cuttlefish with peas is a popular Italian seafood dish that works as a main course with or without pasta. Plus, you have the option to add tomatoes or keep it white (bianco) according to your preference. In either case, this dish is sure to be a hit among seafood enthusiasts!
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If you make any of these Italian seafood pasta recipes, I’d love to hear how it turns out. Write a comment here on the blog or join and post a comment and photo on my Pastaliciousness Facebook group.
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Buon appetito!
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If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or some pasta making tools? They make great prezzies for pasta lovers.
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