Seafood Marinara Pasta Delight (Printer View)

Italian dish with fresh seafood and rich tomato sauce served over al dente pasta.

# What you'll need:

→ Seafood

01 - 7 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 7 oz mussels, cleaned and debearded
03 - 5 oz squid rings
04 - 5 oz sea scallops

→ Pasta

05 - 12 oz spaghetti or linguine

→ Marinara Sauce

06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
08 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
09 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
11 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
12 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp dry white wine
13 - 1 tsp dried oregano
14 - 1 tsp dried basil
15 - 1/2 tsp sugar
16 - Sea salt, to taste
17 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

18 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
19 - Lemon wedges, to serve

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 more minute.
03 - Pour in dry white wine and simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir well and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add squid and scallops to the sauce; simmer 2 minutes. Add shrimp and mussels; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are pink and mussels open. Discard any closed mussels.
06 - Add drained pasta to the sauce and toss gently to coat. Use reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes restaurant-quality but comes together faster than delivery would arrive.
  • Each piece of seafood stays tender instead of turning rubbery, which honestly took me a few tries to figure out.
  • The sauce clings to the pasta in a way that feels almost luxurious without any cream.
02 -
  • Seafood cooks faster than most people expect—the shrimp only needs a pink color, the mussels just need to open, because they'll keep cooking slightly from residual heat.
  • Discard any mussel that doesn't open during cooking or any shrimp that feels mushy, as these are signs something went wrong.
  • Reserved pasta water is not optional; it's what transforms a dry, clumpy dish into one where the sauce actually clings to every strand.
03 -
  • Pat scallops dry with paper towels before adding to the sauce—any excess moisture prevents them from staying tender and sweet.
  • Add a splash of seafood stock alongside the tomatoes if you want even deeper, more oceanic flavor.
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