Seafood Rice Salad

Name: Seafood Rice Salad
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Ribe rice 1 ½ cup; Mussels 1.1 lbs; Clams 1.2 lbs; Shrimps (to clean) 7.1 oz; Octopus 1.1 lbs; Octopi 7.1 oz; Cherry tomatoes 1 cup; Garlic 2 cloves; Bay leaves 1 leaf; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Monkfish 8.8 oz; Extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp; Parsley 1.8 oz; Water cold 2 spoonfuls

it fr es br de

Gluten Free
Lactose Free

Difficulty: Difficult
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 4
Note + 2 h to purge the clams

PRESENTATION

Insalata di riso alla marinara is the kind of seafood rice salad you’ll find all along Italy’s coast once summer rolls in. And you know what? The first thing you’ll notice is how much fresh seafood goes into it—monkfish, cuttlefish, shrimp, octopus, mussels, and clams all make an appearance. Each brings its own thing to the table: monkfish holds its shape with a firm bite, while the shrimp pop with a slightly sweet flavor that stands out. Seriously good stuff. You get that hint of the sea from the mussels and clams, and everything gets tossed together with a homemade parsley oil that smells super fresh—really brightens the dish.

Folks in Liguria or along the Adriatic love this one for those lazy afternoons when the weather is hot. And look, you want something cool but still full of flavor, right? The rice picks up all the seafood juices, so each bite has a real moist and almost tender feel, making it extra satisfying without ever feeling too heavy. Really, it’s perfect.

People usually pull out this seafood rice salad recipe for outdoor lunches, family picnics, or even when friends drop by and you need something easy but impressive. And the parsley oil? It’s not just for looks—it pulls all the flavors together and makes every bite taste like summer in Italy. Some regions might toss in olives or swap out certain seafood, which is totally normal—everyone likes to put their spin on this classic. No question.

Thing is, no one minds if you play around with ingredients; that’s just how these traditional Italian rice salad dishes evolve from one town to the next. It’s one of those meals that sits happily in the fridge for a bit and actually gets better—so it’s a perfect make-ahead seafood dish too. When you serve it cold, you get this crisp, zesty vibe that’s great with a cold drink out on the patio. Nothing too fancy, just good food. Reminds people of beach holidays, sea breezes, and those long, sunny evenings with friends. That’s what makes this Mediterranean rice salad such a favorite in coastal Italy—simple, flavorful, and just right for relaxing summer meals.

INGREDIENTS

Ribe rice 1 ½ cup (320 g)

Mussels 1.1 lbs (500 g)

Clams 1.2 lbs (500 g)

Shrimps 7.1 oz (200 g) - (to clean)

Octopus 1.1 lbs (500 g)

Octopi 7.1 oz (200 g)

Cherry tomatoes 1 cup (150 g)

Garlic 2 cloves

Bay leaves 1 leaf

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Fine salt to taste

Monkfish 8.8 oz (250 g)

for the parsley oil: Extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp (60 g); Parsley 1.8 oz (50 g); Water 2 spoonfuls - cold

Preparation

How to prepare Seafood Rice Salad

To prepare the seafood rice salad, start by cleaning the seafood. First, take care of the clam cleaning, leave them to purge in fresh water and salt for a couple of hours 1; rinse them and make sure there are no empty, broken, or sand-filled shells, in that case, discard them. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a bay leaf, and cook the octopus for 20-25 minutes 2; pierce it with a fork to test the cooking. Finally, let it cool, then remove the beak 3 and eyes.

Cut the octopus into chunks about 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) 4 and set aside. Meanwhile, How to Clean and Open Mussels by removing the beard and surface impurities with a knife 5. Clean the monkfish flesh by removing the central bone, then cut it into 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) chunks 6.

Then take care of the cuttlefish cleaning by removing the insides 7, then cut the mantle into 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) chunks after separating it from the tentacles 8. Clean the shrimp by removing the head 9, shell, and tail.

Remove the intestine and also cut into chunks of the same size 10. In a large pot, heat a little oil and a clove of garlic, then add the mussels 11 and clams 12.

Cover with a lid 13 and let them cook for 3-4 minutes until they open 14. Finally, shell the mollusks 15 and save the cooking liquid.

Strain the liquid through a sieve and set aside 16. In a pan, heat a swirl of oil with the other garlic clove 17, add the monkfish chunks and cuttlefish 18.

Also add the shrimp 19 and let them sizzle over high heat for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan well, until the cooking base is dry. At this point, all the seafood will be cooked. Prepare the parsley oil: separate the parsley leaves from the stems 20 and boil them for 1 minute in boiling water 21.

Then drain 22, making sure to save the cooking water, and transfer to a bowl with ice water 23. When they have cooled, place them in a blender container 24.

Pour the oil 25 and blend with an immersion blender 26; if you see that the mixture is too dry, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of ice water 27.

In the pot where you blanched the parsley leaves, add the mussel and clam cooking liquid 28 and bring to a boil, then cook the rice for 8 minutes 29. Wash the cherry tomatoes and quarter them 30.