Tagliatelle allo scoglio brings silky fresh pasta, sweet shellfish, and a rich tomato and white wine sauce together in one elegant bowl. The seafood tastes briny and bright, while the sauce clings to every ribbon of tagliatelle, making this a confident dinner-party pasta with real Italian charm.
By Theo RandallFrom Saturday Kitchen Recipes
This tagliatelle allo scoglio earns a stronger nutritional profile than many creamy pasta dishes because it relies on seafood, olive oil, tomato, and fresh herbs rather than butter or cheese. The clams, mussels, prawns, and squid provide lean protein and minerals, while the tomato passata and parsley add brightness and balance. Overall, this seafood pasta sits in a favourable Nutri-Score range for a rich but relatively light celebration meal.
Energy: ~580 kcal per serving Fat: ~15g Carbohydrates: ~68g Protein: ~38g Fibre: ~4g
Ingredients
Pasta Dough
- 350g ‘00’ flour
- 25g semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 eggs
- 4 egg yolks
Tagliatelle allo Scoglio
- 1kg clams in the shell
- 1kg mussels
- 200ml dry white wine
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 garlic clove
- 200g tomato passata
- 8 tiger prawns
- 200g squid
- 1 tbsp flatleaf parsley
- 500g fresh tagliatelle
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Customise
- Use spaghetti instead of tagliatelle if you want a slimmer pasta shape.
- Swap prawns for langoustines for a more luxurious seafood pasta.
- Use shop-bought fresh pasta to save time without losing the Italian feel.
- Add chilli flakes if you want more heat in the sauce.
Method
- Make the pasta dough (10 mins, then rest) Put the flour, semolina, eggs, yolks, and 1 teaspoon water into a food processor and blend until the dough comes together. If you work by hand, make a flour well, add the eggs, and slowly draw the flour in until a dough forms. Knead until smooth, wrap the dough, and rest it in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.
- Roll and cut the pasta (20 mins) Divide the dough, then feed one piece through the pasta machine on the widest setting several times until it feels smooth and elastic. Work through the thinner settings step by step, then cut the sheets into rectangles and finally into tagliatelle. Dust with semolina so the strands stay separate.
- Clean and open the shellfish (10 mins) Discard any damaged clams or mussels and shake the rest in a colander under running water. Steam the mussels with half the wine until they open, then strain and save the liquor. Repeat with the clams and keep their juices separate, discarding anything that stays closed.
- Build the sauce (10 mins) Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the garlic with the passata until it reduces and tastes sweet and concentrated. Add the reserved mussel and clam liquor, then bring it to a simmer before adding the prawns and squid.
- Finish the seafood pasta (5 mins) Stir in the cooked mussels, clams, and parsley. Season well with salt and black pepper, keeping the sauce lively and bright rather than heavy.
- Cook the tagliatelle (3 to 5 mins) Boil the fresh tagliatelle in salted water until just al dente. Lift it straight into the sauce with tongs, then toss everything together so the pasta absorbs the seafood flavour.
- Serve immediately Add a drizzle of olive oil, check the seasoning, and serve the tagliatelle allo scoglio in warm bowls. The dish should feel glossy, fragrant, and fresh from the pan.
Additional notes: Warm bowls help keep the seafood pasta at its best. If you want a slightly looser sauce, add a splash of the pasta cooking water before serving.