Seafood Marinara Pasta (Printable)

Italian-style seafood simmered in tomato sauce, served atop perfectly cooked pasta for a flavorful meal.

# Ingredient list:

→ 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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute more.
03 - Pour in white wine and simmer for 2 minutes, allowing it to reduce slightly.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add squid rings and scallops to the sauce; simmer 2 minutes. Incorporate shrimp and mussels, cover, and cook 3-4 minutes until shrimp turn pink and mussels open. Discard any unopened mussels.
06 - Add drained pasta to the seafood sauce, tossing 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 feels fancy enough for company but honest enough for a Tuesday night when you want something that tastes like Italy.
  • The sauce is forgiving and actually improves if you let it simmer while you're doing other things.
  • One pan, one pot—minimal cleanup, maximum flavor.
02 -
  • Mussels that don't open after cooking are not inviting—throw them away; there's nothing to salvage and they're not worth the risk.
  • Overcooking seafood by even 90 seconds turns shrimp into rubber and squid into an eraser, so watch the clock and trust your gut.
  • Pasta water is liquid gold in this recipe—its starch makes the sauce cling and emulsify in ways that regular water never will.
03 -
  • Don't let seafood and pasta sit together more than a few minutes before serving; the residual heat keeps cooking everything, and you'll go from perfect to overdone without meaning to.
  • If you're cooking for people who are hesitant about seafood, make the sauce first and let them try a bite of shrimp in it before committing to the whole dish—seafood cooked this way often changes minds.
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