Italian Seafood Pasta with Mussels & Calamari
The Colosseum. Vatican City. The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Pizza. Pasta. Gondolas. Gelato. Italy can show us incredible things, and that’s only a small bit of what it has to offer!
If we made you long for a trip to Italy right now, we are so sorry. (Talking about it doesn’t help us either!) And for that, we will give you a recipe for a classic Italian pasta dish that will transport you to the coastal shores of Italy. Or even in a top-notch restaurant in Milan, if you prefer.
Either way, we are going to bring the taste of Italy to your kitchen now!
“This recipe was totally out of the norm for me, but handling odd seafood was a ton of fun and it produced an amazing dinner that I’ll be sure to make again.”
-Mike
Our Italian Seafood Pasta was inspired by a recent culinary adventure to Italy, where we enjoyed amazing Italian food like grilled bisteca and veggie paninis. And this pasta recipe is nothing short of awesome, because you can never go wrong with seafood and pasta!
We go light on the sauce, just like how the Italians do, so that every bit of pasta can be tasted. A splash of white wine, a bit of anchovy paste, and a sprinkling of capers add more wow! to this dish.
“It is not very saucy, but still very flavorful! The squeeze of lemon at the end adds the perfect touch. I enjoyed this meal exactly the way it is! It turned out to be a restaurant-quality meal, that was very easy to do at home.”
-Helen
There are two great things about this, really –
- You get to eat as if you are in Italy.
- You get to cook like an Italian!
Now with that said, there’s only one other thing left to say – Buon appetito!
Enjoy more Italian favorites with these recipes:
Prepping & Cooking Smarts
- Try something new by learning how to prep seafood that is not the usual fish and shrimp. Check out our video below for slicing calamari.
- Other than prepping squid and mussels, the rest of the chopping is super easy. We’ll show you how with our cooking videos below.
- Always get a taste of Italy in your own home kitchen by learning how to cook pasta like an Italian with our tips and tricks.
How to Prep Calamari (Squid)
Squid isn't just a restaurant appetizer and can easily be prepped at home for frying, sautes, soups, or sauces.
How to Dice Shallots
This short video shows you how easy it is to chop shallots, which lend a lot of flavor to your cooking.
How to Chop Cilantro or Parsley
Learn how to chop parsley using the 'pivot-and-fan' chopping technique with this short video.
Tips for Cooking Pasta like Italians
Learn how to make pasta taste flavorful and rich with very little fuss.
Equipment Smarts
- Saucepan – a big enough pot ensures that pasta will cook perfectly and not turn out gummy
- Saute pan with a lid – not only great for sauteing, but also allows you to cover and cook the mussels quickly
For more kitchen and equipment and tool smarts, visit our Essential Kitchen Cookware and Tools
Ingredients
- Calamari – 3/4 lb, sliced into rings (It’s ok to get the tentacles too)
- Mussels – 1 lb, cleaned and debearded
- Garlic – 2 cloves, minced
- Shallots – 1/2 bulb, diced
- Parsley – 1/4 bunch, chopped
- Linguine – 1/2 lb
- Cooking oil – 2 Tbsp
- Anchovy paste (opt) – 1 1/2 tsp (Can find in tubes)
- Capers – 1 Tbsp
- Diced tomatoes – 1 can, drained of liquid
- White wine – 2 Tbsp (Use a dry white like a pinot grigio or a sauvignon blanc)
- Lemon – 1/2, juice of
Instructions
Prep
- Calamari – Slice.
- Mussels – Cover in cold water and then drain. If you didn’t get your mussels debearded, debeard them using the help of this article.
- Garlic / Shallots / Parsley – Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
Make
- Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Salt generously and add linguine. Cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. Drain.
- Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and then garlic, shallots, anchovy paste, and capers to heated oil. Saute for ~2 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes and wine, and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add mussels to pan. Cover with a lid and cook for ~5 minutes. Give the pan a shake before removing lid and folding in calamari. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until squid is cooked through. Toss with linguine and finish with lemon juice and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.
- Enjoy your Italian seafood pasta (preferably with a glass of white wine!).
