Scialatielli ai Frutti di Mare

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Scialatielli is a modern Campanian pasta shape invented in the 1960s-70s by Chef Enrico Cosentino of Amalfi—short, flat, irregular ribbons made from a dough enriched with milk, grated cheese (usually pecorino), and fresh basil, giving them a flavour complexity that factory-dried pasta cannot match. The name derives from the Neapolitan 'scialare' (to enjoy oneself), and their most iconic pairing—ai frutti di mare (with mixed seafood)—has become the signature dish of the Amalfi Coast restaurant scene. The dough combines semolina and tipo 00 flour with eggs, milk, grated pecorino, chopped fresh basil, and olive oil, creating a pasta that is simultaneously rich, herbed, and slightly tangy before any sauce touches it. The ribbons are cut irregularly—roughly 1cm wide and 10-15cm long—with ragged edges that catch and hold sauce. The frutti di mare sauce brings together the best of the local waters: vongole (clams), cozze (mussels), gamberi (prawns), calamari, and sometimes scampi or octopus, sautéed in olive oil with garlic and peperoncino, deglazed with white wine, and finished with cherry tomatoes and parsley. The marriage of the basil-infused pasta with the mixed seafood sauce creates a layered flavour experience: the cheese in the dough provides a subtle savouriness that amplifies the seafood's umami, while the basil adds a fresh, herbaceous thread that ties everything together. Scialatielli represent an important phenomenon in Italian pasta culture: the continued invention of new shapes and formats, proving that Italian pasta tradition is living and evolving rather than frozen in the past.

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