Seafood Pasta Aglio e Olio (Print Version)

Italian seafood pasta featuring shrimp, clams, garlic, olive oil, and parsley with a hint of chili.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 9 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 1 lb fresh clams, scrubbed and rinsed

→ Pasta

03 - 14 oz spaghetti

→ Aromatics & Flavorings

04 - 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
05 - 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 to 1 tsp red chili flakes, to taste
07 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
08 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
09 - 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
10 - Salt, to taste
11 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish (optional)

12 - Additional chopped parsley
13 - Lemon wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and red chili flakes; sauté until garlic turns golden and fragrant, about 1 minute, taking care not to burn it.
03 - Add shrimp to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes until they turn pink. Remove shrimp and set aside.
04 - Add clams and white wine to the skillet. Cover and cook for 3–5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until clams open. Discard any that remain closed.
05 - Return shrimp to the skillet. Add drained spaghetti, lemon zest, lemon juice, and most of the parsley. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water gradually to achieve a silky sauce.
06 - Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately with extra parsley and lemon wedges if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking when you actually spent minutes, which is the best kind of kitchen magic.
  • The sauce comes together from pasta water and olive oil, no cream needed—pure Italian simplicity that somehow feels indulgent.
  • Fresh seafood gets treated with the respect it deserves, cooked just enough to stay tender and sweet.
02 -
  • Don't let the garlic brown—it turns bitter instantly and will haunt your entire dish, so watch it like your life depends on it.
  • Discard any clams that don't open; they're not being difficult, they're being dangerous, and it's not worth ignoring your instincts.
  • Save that pasta water before draining, not after—it's liquid gold for creating a silky sauce without cream.
03 -
  • Cook the pasta until it's perfectly al dente, then finish it in the skillet with the seafood and oil for one minute—this helps the pasta absorb flavor instead of just sitting in it.
  • If the dish seems dry when you plate it, drizzle each bowl with a little more olive oil and a squeeze of lemon; sometimes the best flavors come at the table, not in the pan.
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