Seafood Pasta
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My seafood pasta recipe combines al dente pasta with a homemade red sauce and perfectly cooked seafood. Use a frozen seafood blend to make a fancy yet convenient dish!
When pasta night rolls around (which is quite often), I need new recipes to keep my family on their toes. They don’t expect me to break out the seafood, so it’s always a treat when I do. Made with al dente noodles tossed in a garlicky, white wine-infused red sauce, it’s taken up a notch with the addition of your favorite seafood.
In culinary school, I was taught the importance of building flavor in layers, especially with seafood sauces. That’s why I always start by caramelizing tomato paste and deglazing with wine- it creates a rich base, so the seafood doesn’t overpower the dish (a mistake that often happens in seafood pastas). After plenty of testing with different seafood blends, I’ve found shrimp and scallops hold their texture best, while mussels add the perfect presentation factor.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Use fresh OR frozen seafood. I’ll use fresh seafood when I have it, but I use frozen seafood 99% of the time, and it always turns out great.
- Fit for every occasion. It’s ready in 15 minutes, so you can have it on a random weeknight, yet it’s fancy enough for date night or when you’re hosting.
- Flavorful. It’s full of complex flavor, and the balance of simple seafood with a rich tomato sauce is the perfect pairing.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“This tasted like something from a fancy Italian restaurant, but I made it on a Tuesday night. So easy and so impressive!” – Mark
Ingredients needed
- Seafood. I’ve tested this with several frozen blends, and shrimp, scallops, and mussels always give the best flavor and texture after cooking. Smaller shellfish, such as clams, tend to toughen more quickly, so I prefer mussels for consistency.
- Pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. I prefer using spaghetti or tagliatelle for this.
- Onion and garlic. Two essential aromatics.
- Tomato puree. The bulk of the sauce. Crushed tomatoes can also be used if you prefer a chunky, cioppino-style sauce.
- Tomato paste. To add richness to the sauce.
- White wine. For acidity and to add another layer of flavor. Opt for a dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. If you don’t want to cook with alcohol, use equal parts chicken broth or fish broth.
- Olive oil. To sauté the aromatics. Butter also works.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Sugar. Depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes, you may need a touch of sugar to balance out the flavor.
- Parsley. For the sauce and garnish.
How to make seafood pasta
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Sauté. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 2- Add wine. Add the wine and simmer until the alcohol smell evaporates.
Step 3- Build the sauce. Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and half of the parsley. Simmer and adjust the taste as needed.
Step 4- Add seafood. Add the seafood medley. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the mussels open.
Step 5- Combine. Add the pasta and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water if needed. Serve with fresh parsley.
What to serve with this recipe
This dish is quite filling on its own, but it also works with all different sides. Here are some suggestions:
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make the sauce in advance. When I know I’ll be short on time, I’ll make the sauce up to 2 days in advance so it’s ready when I need it.
- Discard unopened shells. This was drilled into us in culinary school as a food safety rule, since they’re usually dead and can cause illness.
- Add veggies. Like fresh spinach, diced tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, capers, or chopped olives.
- Switch the seasonings. Add Italian seasoning or Cajun seasoning.
- Garnish. With a lemon wedge and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Storage instructions
To store: Place leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator and store for up to two days.
To freeze: While seafood pasta can technically be frozen for up to 6 months, I find the texture of the seafood is best enjoyed within 2 months.
Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat with a splash of water (to steam) or microwave in 30-second intervals until warm.
Frequently asked questions
I’ve found the best way to reduce the “fishy” flavor is to rinse it under cold water and add fresh lemon juice.
Yes! In fact, I usually do. There’s no need to thaw it first- just add it straight to the sauce and cook until it’s opaque and the mussels have open.
I like long noodles, such as spaghetti or tagliatelle, because they coat beautifully in the sauce. However, you can also use shorter pasta, like penne or rigatoni, if that’s what you have.
More easy pasta dinners
- Pesto pasta bake
- Low calorie pasta
- Protein pasta
- Healthy pasta
- Pastina
- Cottage cheese lasagna
- Smoked Mac and cheese
- Craving more seafood recipes? Try seafood soup, seafood lasagna, and sauteed shrimp.
Seafood Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti uncooked
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste tomato concentrate
- 150 mls white wine or fish broth
- 2 cups tomato sauce passata
- 12 ounces mixed seafood * See notes
- 1/2 pound mussels
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti as per the box instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add wine and bring to a simmer, and cook until the alcohol smell evaporates.
- Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and half of the parsley. Bring to a simmer and adjust the taste if needed.
- Add the seafood medley and mussels. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the mussels open. Add the pasta and coat everything well, adding some pasta water if needed. Toss with the rest of the parsley on top and serve warm.
Notes
- Mixed seafood medley: Opt for any fresh or frozen seafood medley that contains shrimp, mussels, and preferably also scallops.
Nutrition
Originally published January 2023
Hey man I was going to cook this up tonight but in your recipe it says 12oz of seafood medley and to see notes regarding this when you get to notes there is nothing there to explain what is in your seafood medley. Can you please fix this over site.
Thanks
Thanks for bringing this up- Yes, we’ve just added the notes in, not sure why it wasn’t showing! Any fresh or frozen seafood medley works, but it should contain at least shrimp and mussels, and preferably scallops, too.
I ender up trying this recipe tonight as I forgot I didn’t have rice to make Paella. I’m glad I did not have rice now!
I had all the ingredients and It did not disappoint, it was really tasty and restaurant quality! My husband usually orders a seafood pasta when we go out and he loved it! 10/10!!!
Love to hear that, Nix!
I dont eat a lot of pasta but with seafood…yea please!
Honestly I just go tomorrow on my mother’s lunch and she is making linguine with seafood. I like that her lunch so much. Very similar like this!
I live on mediterranean country my whole life and seafood is my favourite food. I need to make this pasta!
When your eyes stare upon culinary excellence, it’s love😛