Scungilli Salad (Snail Salad) (2024)

Scungilli salad is an Italian-American dish that originated in the early 1900s. For anyone who isn’t familiar, scungilli, pronounced skuhn-GEE-lee, refers to a type of edible sea snail (whelk) with a spiral-shaped shell and slightly chewy meat that’s often used in salads and pasta dishes. A favorite of seafood lovers, its flavor is mild, sweet, and slightly briny, similar to that of squid or octopus.

Notes From the MGC Kitchen

We used to live in Rhode Island, a state with a large Italian-American population, and freshly made scungilli salad was readily available in seafood markets and at deli counters year round. Now, living in Florida, making our own is the only option, but it’s super simple to do and a favorite of ours, particularly on Christmas Eve when we make our version of the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Going back a few years, we always used frozen scungilli to make this salad, but now we’ve switched to using canned scungilli from LaMonica Foods. It’s so much easier, and we’ve found the texture and flavor to be more consistent. For those who prefer to use frozen, we’ve included instructions for preparation in the recipe.

Key Ingredients

Here’s an overview of the essential ingredients for this recipe, along with shopping tips, and possible substitutions. The complete ingredient list is in the recipe card below.

SCUNGILLI: Scungilli can be purchased fresh, frozen, or canned, but depending on where you live, it’s not always easy to find. We’re located in Orlando, Florida, and we have a well-stocked fish and seafood market in the area that sells both canned (LaMonica brand) and frozen. We use the canned for this recipe, but we’ve included instructions for working with frozen scungilli in the recipe notes.
CELERY: Celery is an essential component of this salad because provides a crisp textural contrast to the scungilli, as well as fresh flavor and visual appeal.
ONION: We always choose sweet onion for this dish because of its milder flavor. If you use regular yellow onion, you can soak it in ice water for about 20 minutes. This will mellow the harsh flavor a bit while still maintaining its crisp texture. Just be sure to pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the salad.
PARSLEY: Chopped parsley adds both flavor and a pop of color to scungilli salad. We opt for Italian (flat-leaf) parsley because it has a richer flavor than the curly variety.
GARLIC VINAIGRETTE: Scungilli salad is dressed with a simple vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and a healthy dose of minced garlic. A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes is an optional addition that we happen to enjoy.

How to Make Scungilli Salad

Here’s a basic overview of how this dish is prepared. For detailed, step-by-step instructions and a complete ingredient list, please refer to the printable recipe card below.

RINSE AND DRAIN THE SCUNGILLI: Empty the can of scungilli into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cool running water. Let stand for a few minutes, stirring once or twice, to allow as much water to drain off as possible. If you see any large pieces pick them out and slice them smaller for uniformity.

MAKE THE GARLIC VINAIGRETTE: Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper in a small mixing bowl.

MAKE THE SALAD: Add the scungilli to a mixing bowl along with the celery, onion, and parsley. Add the dressing to the salad ingredients and combine well. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

LET THE FLAVORS DEVELOP: Let stand at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow time for the flavor to develop before transferring to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon.

Make Ahead Instructions

This recipe can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to two days. For the best flavor, it’s recommended to take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before serving.

How to Cook Frozen Scungilli

Frozen scungilli is usually already shelled and should be defrosted in the refrigerator before cooking. You will need about 1-1/4 lbs for this recipe (4 servings). Here’s how to cook it:

Step #1: Place the scungilli in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover them by about 1-1/2 inches. Bring to a boil first over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and simmer until a knife can be inserted and removed from the scungilli with ease, 35 to 45 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step #2: Once the scungilli is cool enough to handle, remove the hard cartilage at the large end of the snail and scrape out the brown digestive sac that runs along its outer curve. Rinse thoroughly before slicing and proceeding with the recipe as written.

What to Serve With Scungilli Salad

As we mentioned above, we always serve scungilli salad as part of our Italian Christmas Eve dinner, but it also makes a great first course for other Italian dishes like lasagna, sea scallops with pasta, fish puttanesca, or linguine with mixed seafood. If you’re looking for other seafood appetizers, you might want to try clams casino or steamed mussels.