Fried zucchini, sweet shrimp, and briny clams come together in this coastal Italian pasta dish that tastes like a trip to the Amalfi Coast in every bite!

Fresh clams in shells, zucchini coins and pieces of shrimp tossed with short pasta on a colorful serving plate set on top of a lace surface.

When you hear the words “fried zucchini” and “pasta” in one breath, you may immediately think of that Stanley Tucci pasta. But this is not the Spaghetti Alla Nerano famously known on social media as Tucci’s favourite zucchini pasta. This Fried Zucchini, Shrimp and Clam Pasta is my version of the best thing I ate on the Amalfi Coast during our Italy trip this summer!

The second I saw the inspo dish Cortecci con Zucchine, Gamberi e Vongole on the menu at Le Bontà Del Capo during our visit to the Amalfi Coast, I knew I was ordering it. And it did not disappoint. Cortecci is a specific short pasta shape from Southern Italy. By the way, if you ever find yourself in that area of Italy, I highly recommend a stop in for lunch at this little gem of a restaurant right on the coast, about 10-minutes drive outside the crowd of Amalfi town itself. I wonder if Stanley Tucci has ever been there to eat this dish because I feel like it is even better. 🫣

Fresh clams in shells, zucchini coins and pieces of shrimp tossed with short pasta in a metal pan.

This dish would be splendid any time of the year, but especially now at the peak of summer. Zucchini are aplenty at farmer’s market, in farm shares and home gardens. The recipe calls for 2 pounds of it (4 or 5 small zucchini) which may seem like a lot at first but once fried and tossed in the pasta, it somehow shrinks down a lot so just trust.

🎥 Watch video for Fried Zucchini, Shrimp and Clams Pasta

Have you travelled to the Amalfi Coast? I hope this Fried Zucchini, Shrimp and Clam Pasta successfully gives you a little taste of it, regardless of geography or season. Drop your thoughts or questions about the recipe in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

Eat well and be well,

Sonia x

what you’ll need:

Ingredients for Fried Zucchini, Shrimp and Clams Pasta

(note: scroll down to recipe card for full recipe)

Fresh clams - Use any small, hard shell clams such as Littleneck, Manilla and “pasta clams”. The recipe calls for 2lbs but you can go up to 3lbs if you’re feeling more luxurious.
Shrimp - I use jumbo size shrimp for ease of peeling and cut them into 3 smaller pieces for bite-sized morsels.
Small zucchini - 2 pounds of zucchini may seem like a lot but once fried, they shrink down significantly. Try to use 4 or 5 smaller zucchini rather than fewer large ones. Smaller zucchini are more thin-skinned and sweeter.
Extra virgin olive oil - For frying zucchini and sautéing. Based on my research, sunflower oil is traditionally used for frying the zucchini but use whatever high heat oil you have such as evoo or avocado oil.
Garlic - Adds aroma and makes everything taste better. Make sure not to burn it.
Butter - Adds richness and fat to emulsify the clam liquid/pasta water into a sauce to coat everything.
Dry pasta, short or long shape of choice - I used Casarecce shape but feel free to use another short shape like Gemelli or Cavatelli, or go with a long shape like Spaghetti.
Parsley - for garnish and pop of herby freshness.
Salt and pepper to taste

steps at a glance:

How to make Fried Zucchini, Shrimp and Clams Pasta

(note: scroll down to recipe card for full recipe)

Scrub and purge clams in salted water (see recipe for full instructions)
Steam clams in water (or white wine if you prefer) for 8-12 minutes. Discard unopened clams.
Don’t you dare throw out the steaming liquid! Keep it to use in the “sauce”

Slice zucchini into ⅛” coins using a sharp knife or mandolin
Fry zucchini in batches to avoid overcrowding, until golden brown
Drain on paper towels. Season lightly with salt.

Season shrimp pieces with salt and pepper.
Lemon slices are optional - I don’t call for it in the recipe but my general tip is if you have a lemon in the fridge, always add a few slices. Don’t squeeze the juices! We don’t want the acid to start cooking them while they marinade. The lemon will impart a light freshness to the shrimp just by being there. Discard after sautéing.

Note - below images show one serving being cooked. Full recipe serves 4.

Briefly sauté garlic slices, then add zucchini

Add clam steaming liquid to the zucchini and simmer briefly.
Add pasta (cooked to al dente less 2 minutes, reserving pasta water) and butter, and toss vigorously

Add pasta water. Continue tossing/stirring vigorously to emulsify the liquid, adding more pasta water as needed.
Add shrimp and clams towards the end. Cover and simmer briefly just to heat them back through.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Tips & FAQs

Clams are naturally salty!

Clams (and the clam steaming liquid) are naturally salty. While salting in layers is important for building flavour in any dish, do so judiciously in this recipe keeping in mind the natural brininess of the clams and steaming liquid.

What type of clams should I use in this recipe?

Any small hard shell clams such as Littleneck, Manila or “pasta clams” work well. The recipe calls for 2 lbs of clams but you can go up to 3 lbs if you want more per person.

If I can’t get fresh clams, can I use jarred clams instead?

Fresh clams are unparalleled in this dish since the steaming liquid is also used to lend a fresh, briny flavour to the pasta. That said, I have absolutely made this dish with a jar of clams too. To use jarred clams, drain them in a colander set over a bowl to keep the liquid, and use it as a substitute for clam steaming liquid, The jarred brine may be saltier, whereas fresh clam steaming liquid has a cleaner taste. Taste it first to decide how much or how little of it you want in the dish.

Do clams need to be cleaned?

Even if clams are labelled “pre-purged” or “farm-raised”, I still recommend purging the sand out of them first. Nothing worse than spending the money and time to cook a meal with fresh clams only to constantly get bites of crunchy sand that ruins the entire experience. I speak from experience from doing this once to my Cioppino recipe.

How to clean and purge fresh clams

Rinse and lightly scrub the clams. Purge sand from clams in a large bowl of cool salty water solution using a ratio of 2 tablespoons kosher salt per quart of water per pound of clams (per America's Test Kitchen). Soak 2 hours at cool room temperature or longer up to overnight in the fridge, uncovered as they need to breathe. After purging, use hands to transfer clams from the bowl to a colander, leaving the grit behind. Rinse well with cool water and drain. Keep them cover with wet paper towels in the fridge until ready to use. How long they keep that way depends on how fresh they were when you purchased them. Don’t be afraid to ask the fish monger. If clams are very fresh, they can be held in the fridge at least 24 hours sometimes more, but generally try to use them as soon as possible to minimize die off.

Option to substitute dry white wine for steaming clams

If you have a bottle of dry white wine opened, use that to steam the clams instead of water to add lovely flavour and acidity to the dish.

Option to fry the zucchini in advance

When researching this recipe, I kept encountering the Italian dish Spaghetti alla Nerano (Fried Zucchini Pasta) in which the zucchinis are fried the same way, often the day before and refrigerated overnight – said to give a better texture in the final sauce. True or not, I love any make in advance opportunities especially since frying this much zucchini takes a good 35 minutes. Feel free to do this step the day before if more convenient!

Type of shrimp to use

I use jumbo size shrimp for ease of peeling and cut them into 3 smaller pieces for bite-sized morsels. Slightly smaller size also works since they are cut into smaller pieces for this recipe. Shell-on and de-veined raw shrimp are always my go to when it comes to buying frozen shrimp. Shell-on shrimp are juicier. De-veined shrimp saves so much time.

Pasta shape to use for this recipe

When I had this dish at Le Bontà Capo on the Amalfi Coast, they used a short pasta type called Cortecci (aka Corteccia), a rustic short pasta from Southern Italy that has a distinct hollow centre and ripply edges. The closest store-bought bronze cut dry pasta I found is the Casarecce No.88 pasta by Rummo. Feel free to use another short shape like Gemelli or Cavatelli, or go with a long shape like Spaghetti.

You may also be interested in these other recipes:

Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Cioppino Seafood Stew

Alfredo Chicken Broccoli Pasta

Kale Sausage Pasta

Fried Zucchini, Shrimp and Clams Pasta

Yield: 4

Author: sonia wong | www.saltnpepperhere.com