Scialatielli all’Amalfitana

Scialatielli all'amalfitana is a seafood pasta dish prepared with scialatielli, a special pasta variety from the Amalfi region, nowadays popular throughout the coastal area of Campania. Compared to other Italian pasta shapes, scialatelli is a rather recent innovation, created in 1978 by the chef Enrico Cosentino, who has been developing his own pasta variety since the 1960s. He substituted a part of the eggs in the dough with milk, enriched his creation with basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, and Parmigiano, then shaped the dough in thick, short, linguine-like pasta with a rectangular cross-section. The invention was an instant success and it was even recognized at a local culinary contest. Nowadays, one of the most popular way to enjoy scialatielli is all'amalfitana - served with typical seafood from the Amalfi coast – usually clams, mussels, prawns, and cuttlefish. The dish is best enjoyed warm, decorated with finely chopped parsley.