Seafood Marinara Pasta (Printable Version)

A vibrant Italian dish combining fresh seafood and rich tomato sauce over 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 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
08 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
12 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon dry white wine
13 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
15 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
16 - Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

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

# How To Make It:

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 of pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook an additional 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 to combine and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add squid rings and sea scallops to the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Then add shrimp and mussels, cover, and cook for 3-4 minutes until shrimp are pink and mussels have opened. Discard any unopened mussels.
06 - Add drained pasta to the seafood marinara, tossing gently to coat. Use reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Four kinds of seafood come together in under 45 minutes, making you feel like you've spent hours in the kitchen when you really haven't.
  • The sauce tastes like you've been simmering it forever, but it's built on quick aromatics and honest tomatoes that let the seafood shine.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about serving pasta this elegant without any pretense—it's restaurant-quality comfort food.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the skillet or the seafood will steam instead of cook through properly—work in batches if your pan feels tight.
  • Mussels that don't open after cooking aren't safe to eat, so throw them away without guilt or second-guessing.
  • The pasta water is not an afterthought—it's an emulsifier that turns a watery sauce into something that clings to every strand and tastes professional.
03 -
  • A splash of seafood stock whispered into the sauce alongside the tomatoes turns good into extraordinary, adding depth that feels earned rather than borrowed.
  • Toasting your dried herbs in the warm oil for 30 seconds before adding everything else wakes them up and makes the whole dish taste fresher.
Go Back