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Spaghetti allo Scoglio

Classic Italian seafood pasta built on an intense shellfish liquor, reduced and integrated through a risottatura technique. The aim is to capture the Mediterranean in each bite—saline, direct—through precise layering of crustaceans, mollusks, and starch.

Spaghetti allo Scoglio

Ingredients (for 4 people)

  • Mussels (400 g)
  • Clams (Vongole veraci | 400 g)
  • 12 Grey shrimps
  • 3 Squids
  • Garlic (2 cloves)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh chili
  • Parsley
  • 12 Cherry tomatoes
  • Spaghetti (400 g)

Utensils & Tools

  • Fine mesh sieve

Preparations

Shellfish and Squid Cleaning

  1. Shell the shrimp, removing the intestines. Cut the flesh into pieces and reserve shells and heads.
  2. Clean the squid by removing innards, quill, skin, eyes, and beak. Separate wings from bodies and cut the bodies into rings.
  3. Combine shrimp flesh with squid rings, wings, and tentacles in a bowl.

Shellfish Liquor and Seafood

  1. Scrub mussels and rinse with clams under cold water. Soak in cold water for at least 1 hour.
  2. Transfer to a pan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until shells open (about 20 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat, extract the flesh, and reserve it separately, keeping the released liquid. Discard shells.
  4. Return the liquid to heat and add reserved shrimp shells and heads. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Filter the liquid 2–3 times through a fine sieve to get a clean shellfish stock.
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Shellfish stock can be prepared in advance (up to 1 day) and refrigerated.
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The method scales to additional seafood, adjusting for individual cooking times.

Pasta and Finishing

  1. Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water.
  2. In a large pan, heat olive oil with finely chopped garlic and chili over medium heat.
  3. Separate parsley stems from leaves; add stems to the pan.
  4. Once garlic is lightly golden, remove stems and add the shellfish stock.
  5. Transfer partially cooked pasta to the pan and begin risottatura, cooking over high heat and adding pasta water gradually.
  6. Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters or eighths.
  7. In the final 7 minutes, add shrimp, squid, mussels, clams, and tomatoes. Continue cooking while stirring.
  8. Once the sauce reaches a creamy consistency, remove from heat and rest for about 1 minute.
  9. Finely chop fresh parsley leaves and incorporate evenly.
  10. Plate and finish with a few drops of raw extra virgin olive oil.
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Shrimp and squid require short cooking times; add only at the final stage.
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Use high-quality bronze-drawn pasta to optimize starch release during risottatura.