Where the Adriatic and Ionian Seas meet, you’ll find some of the freshest seafood in Europe. In the turquoise waters of Salento, off the white beaches or rocky cliffs, an abundance of fish, clams, crabs, squid, and shellfish are caught fresh each morning and served up for lunch or dinner.
There are countless delicious options just waiting to be explored. Take advantage of being in this prime location and dive into the seafood offerings!
Feeling hungry? Let’s explore the delightful seafood of Salento in southern Italy:
Seafood pasta comes in many styles. With the variety of pasta types in Italy and the range of seafood available, the combinations are endless. Typically, spaghetti, linguine, or other thin pastas are used because they best capture a seafood sauce. You’ll likely find pieces of fish or squid along with clams, mussels, and shrimp. Be sure to enjoy it with some good bread to soak up the sauce.
In Torre Vado, Profumo di Mare offers Linguine al Profumo di Mare for two, accompanied by a glass of white wine and a bottle of sparkling water for 46€.
The king prawns of Gallipoli are considered some of the best in the world. They’re succulent, sweet, and salty. Although they’re best savored raw, a version with a drizzle of breadcrumbs on top makes for a heartier dish that perfectly complements the sweet meat. Regular-sized prawns are known as Gamberi, while the slightly larger king prawns are called Gamberoni.
At Stella Del Mare in Torre Pali, Gamberoni are priced at 7€ per 100g, and a 300g serving is offered.
While caviar comes from sturgeon in the Caspian and Black Sea, Bottarga is a salty, cured delicacy that adds a unique zest to pasta. It’s made from the roe of mullet or tuna, which is compressed, dried, and cured in sea salt for weeks. When grated over pasta, it gives the dish a new depth, similar to how fish sauce enhances flavor with umami. If you get the chance, you must try it!
At Tormaresca in Lecce, Carbonara di Mare rifinita alla Bottarga is perfected with a light sprinkle of Bottarga and pairs well with a rosé wine. This dish is priced at 13€, and dinner with starters and a glass of wine each totals 66€.
I usually avoid seafood with suction cups, as octopus and squid aren’t my favorite when they’re alive. But in an Insalata di Mare, they’re a different story. Freshly prepared, they’re tender yet firm, offering a delightful mix of textures and flavors for the curious foodie traveler. It’s best enjoyed super fresh from a place that knows how to treat the different kinds of squid, as there are about 800 species. Besides squid and octopus, you might find mussels, clams, prawns, and calamari in your seafood salad.
At Stella del Mare in Torre Pali, Insalata di Mare is available for 12€ as a starter, which can easily be shared between two people.
The mussels of Taranto are known as the “queen of Italian mussels” due to their tasty, low-fat, and iron-rich rosy or yellow flesh. With its many mussel farms, Taranto was once the largest producer of mussels and oysters in the world. A visit to Puglia, and Taranto in particular, isn’t complete without tasting these renowned mussels.
We tried Cozze Gratinate—mussels baked with breadcrumbs—and Frittelle di Cozze—mussels dipped in batter and deep fried—at the restaurant Stelle del Mare in Torre Pali, as part of the Antipasto Stella. We also had Tubettini alle Cozze—small pasta tubes with mussels—at Ristò Fratelli Pesce in Taranto.
Antipasto Stella was a generous seafood feast for 15€, and Tubettini alle Cozze was just 8€.
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