Seafood Marinara Pasta Classic (Printable)

Fresh seafood in rich tomato sauce, combined with perfectly cooked pasta for an Italian-inspired dish.

# 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 and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

17 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
18 - Lemon wedges, to serve

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti or linguine until al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
02 - Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large deep skillet. Add finely chopped onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Stir in minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking an additional minute.
03 - Pour in the dry white wine and let it simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, sugar, sea salt, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Incorporate squid rings and sea scallops into the sauce, simmering for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and mussels, cover the skillet, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp turn pink and mussels open. Discard any unopened mussels.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the seafood marinara and gently toss to combine. Use reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Four different types of seafood create layers of flavor that taste like you spent hours in the kitchen when it's really just 45 minutes start to finish.
  • The sauce clings to each strand of pasta in a way that feels luxurious but comes together with basic pantry staples you probably already have.
02 -
  • Overcooking seafood is the most common way to ruin this dish, so watch the clock from the moment you add squid and scallops and don't rely on gut feeling.
  • Mussels that won't open after four minutes aren't being stubborn; they're damaged or dead, and eating them could make you sick, so discard them without guilt.
03 -
  • Add a splash of seafood stock when you pour in the tomatoes if you have it; it deepens the complexity in ways that make people ask what restaurant ingredient you're hiding.
  • Chop parsley fresh and scatter it generously because it brings green brightness and a final whisper of herbaceous flavor that the dish absolutely needs.
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