I first learned about scialatielli not from a menu but from a cooking blog that mentioned it was invented in 1976 by a chef in Amalfi named Enrico Cosentino. That fact stuck with me — that a pasta shape could be modern and still feel so deeply tied to a place. And the reason it works? It was designed around whatever the fishing boats brought in that morning.
Scialatielli, the thick hand-cut pasta that defines the Amalfi Coast’s seafood tradition, was invented in 1976 by chef Enrico Cosentino in Amalfi — and it was designed from the start around whatever the boats brought in that morning.
If you want pasta that starts with whatever came off the boat that morning, you’re looking for two dishes: scialatielli ai frutti di mare, the thick-cut fresh pasta tossed with mixed seafood, and spaghetti alla colatura, where a few drops of aged anchovy essence transform a simple bowl of pasta into something deeply savory. Both are built around the catch, just in very different ways. The first is a celebration of abundance; the second is a lesson in how much flavor a single ingredient can carry.
Scialatielli ai Frutti di Mare: The One That Started It All
Chef Enrico Cosentino created scialatielli in 1976 at his restaurant in Amalfi, and the shape caught on fast. It’s shorter and thicker than tagliatelle, with an irregular, rustic texture that comes from mixing flour, eggs, milk, basil, Parmigiano, and olive oil into the dough. That rough surface is what makes it work with seafood — the sauce clings to every ridge and fold.
Most coastal trattorias make the pasta fresh each morning. When it’s tossed with clams, mussels, squid, and shrimp in a light sauce of olive oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and white wine, you get what many locals consider the definitive taste of the Amalfi Coast. The pasta has a chewy bite that soaks up the briny sweetness of the seafood without turning soggy.
If you’re traveling with kids who are picky about seafood, this dish can be a gamble. My family learned to ask for a small portion of the pasta with just olive oil and a little tomato on the side — most kitchens were happy to do it, and it gave the kids something familiar while the adults ate the full version.
Spaghetti alla Colatura: Where a Few Drops Do the Work
Colatura di alici is a translucent amber liquid that comes from fermenting anchovies in oak barrels called terzigni. It’s a direct descendant of Roman garum, and it has been produced the same way for centuries in the fishing village of Cetara. The anchovies are caught at night using lampare boats between March and August, during moonless nights, and they are beheaded and gutted by hand the same day.
is the total yield from a single oak barrel of colatura di alici after months of aging
thelazyitalian.com
The colatura earned EU Protected Designation of Origin status in 2020. To carry the PDO mark, the anchovies must come from the Gulf of Salerno and be processed traditionally, with a minimum aging of nine months. The best reserves mature two to three years, and a single barrel yields only about one to two litres of liquid. It’s expensive, but you use it sparingly.
The classic dish is spaghetti alla colatura — sometimes called spaghetti ajo, ojo e colatura. The technique is specific: you add no salt to the pasta water because the colatura provides enough savoriness. The sauce is mixed raw — colatura, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, chili pepper, and parsley — and tossed with hot pasta off the heat. You never heat the colatura itself, or you lose the aromatic compounds that make it so distinctive.
If you want to buy colatura to take home, look for the PDO mark on the bottle. One bottle lasts months because the flavor is so concentrated. Store opened bottles in the fridge and use them within a few weeks.
Cetara itself is worth a stop. It’s a working fishing village with a fraction of the crowds you’ll find in Positano or Amalfi. Most visitors spend one to two hours here — a walk along the harbor, lunch at a trattoria, and a stop to buy colatura. Parking is limited along the narrow SS163 road, so aim to arrive before 11:30 AM or after 2:00 PM. If you can time your visit for December, the Sagra della Colatura festival offers multi-dish tastings and a real village celebration.
I wrote more about what makes Cetara worth your time in this post about why its anchovy fame undersells the rest of the menu.
Other Catch-of-the-Day Pastas Worth Ordering
Not every seafood pasta on the Amalfi Coast comes as scialatielli or spaghetti. A few other dishes lean just as heavily on the daily catch, and they’re worth knowing about before you sit down to order.
Where to Eat Catch-of-the-Day Pasta
The Amalfi Coast has more Michelin-starred restaurants than almost any other region in Italy, second only to Lombardy. But the best seafood pasta I ate was at a modest family-run spot where the owner pointed to the harbor and said the fish came in two hours ago. Here are the places that keep showing up in both my research and my notes.
Cetara — Ristorante Acqua Pazza has been championing colatura di alici since 1990. Their menu includes raw marinated anchovies, linguine with colatura, and whatever the local boats brought in that morning. It’s the most direct way to experience catch-of-the-day cooking on the coast.
Praiano — Da Armandino sits right on the quayside. The menu changes daily based on the catch, but the constants are marinated anchovies, pasta with flying squid, and grilled swordfish. It’s casual, loud, and exactly what a fishing village trattoria should be.
Amalfi — Lido Azzurro is a big, busy beachside restaurant that could easily be a tourist trap, but it’s not. The spaghetti alle vongole is consistent, and the whole fish baked in a salt crust is a good option if you want to share family-style. Borgo Santandrea, a restored mid-century hotel, has a Michelin-starred restaurant called Alici that does handmade pasta with local catch in a more refined setting.
Furore — Hostaria di Bacco sits up in the mountains with terrace views over the fjord. Their ferrazzuoli alla nanarella is unlike any other seafood pasta on the coast — the smoked swordfish and pine nuts give it a richness that doesn’t come from cream or butter.
Massa Lubrense — La Torre serves spaghetti with Cetara anchovies, cherry tomatoes, and capers, plus a baby octopus in sweet tomato sauce (polipetto affogato) that works as a starter or a light second course.
Over-tourism has created real tourist traps on the Amalfi Coast, especially in Positano and Amalfi town center. Some restaurants serve overpriced gnocchi alla Sorrentina and frozen seafood labeled as fresh. Book well in advance at the places listed here, and avoid any spot on a main square with a host out front waving a menu at passersby.
What’s the difference between scialatielli and regular pasta?
Scialatielli is thicker and shorter than tagliatelle, with an irregular, rustic texture. The dough includes milk, basil, Parmigiano, and olive oil, which gives it more flavor and a chewier bite. It was invented in Amalfi in 1976 and is made fresh daily in most coastal trattorias.
Can I find colatura di alici outside of Cetara?
Yes, but look for the PDO mark on the bottle. Authentic colatura comes only from anchovies caught in the Gulf of Salerno and processed traditionally in Cetara. Bottles without the PDO mark may use fish from other seas and lack the same depth of flavor.
Is catch-of-the-day pasta expensive on the Amalfi Coast?
It can be, especially at restaurants in Positano and Amalfi town. But family-run places in smaller towns like Cetara, Praiano, and Furore offer better value. You’ll pay for quality, but you’re also paying for fish that was in the water a few hours earlier.
What if I don’t eat seafood?
The Amalfi Coast has plenty of non-seafood options. Look for pasta al limone (creamy lemon pasta with Sfusato Amalfitano lemons), ndunderi di Minori (ricotta dumplings with tomato sauce), or the pizza from Tramonti, which uses whole-wheat crust and local ingredients like Corbarino tomatoes and fior di latte.
Is the catch-of-the-day pasta worth the hype, or is it overrated?
It depends on where you eat. At a tourist spot reheating frozen seafood, it’s not worth it. At a trattoria in Cetara or Praiano where the fish was landed that morning, it’s some of the best pasta you’ll have. The difference is knowing which is which.
What Makes Catch-of-the-Day Pasta Worth the Trip
The Amalfi Coast is full of dishes that sound simple on paper and deliver something far more complex on the plate. The catch-of-the-day pasta tradition works because it doesn’t try to hide the fish behind technique or heavy sauces. A good scialatielli ai frutti di mare or a bowl of spaghetti alla colatura lets the ingredient speak — and when that ingredient was swimming a few hours earlier, it has plenty to say. If you’re planning a trip and want to understand how the coast eats, you can read more in this guide to finding la dolce vita on the Amalfi Coast.
Sources and further reading
The Lazy Italian. “Seven Dishes to Try on the Amalfi Coast.” 🔗
Italy Segreta. “Amalfi Through the Eyes of a Local.” 🔗
Amalfi Coast Style. “Traditional Amalfi Coast Recipes.” 🔗
The Calculated Cook. “Amalfi Coast Food Travel Guide.” 🔗
Related reading on Emily in Italy
Furore’s Vineyard Terraces Grow Grapes on Slopes That Shouldn’t Work — A closer look at the dramatic vineyards of Furore and the wines that pair with the region’s seafood pasta.
The Coastal Cove at Erchie Requires a Local’s Directions to Find — A quiet swimming spot near Cetara where you can work up an appetite before lunch.
Rome, Amalfi Coast, and Taormina: An Italian Journey — How to string together a longer trip that includes the Amalfi Coast’s best food stops.