Seafood Marinara Pasta (Printable)

Fresh seafood simmered in rich tomato sauce, served over al dente pasta with herbs and a touch of wine.

# 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 pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for an additional 1 minute.
03 - Pour in the dry white wine and let it 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 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 turn pink and mussels open; discard any unopened mussels.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and gently toss with the sauce. Use reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce for desired consistency.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately topped with chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
  • You can customize the seafood mix based on what looks freshest at the market
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully for an impressive lunch the next day
02 -
  • Discard any mussels that remain closed after cooking as they may not be safe to eat
  • Add a splash of seafood stock with the tomatoes if you want deeper savory flavor
  • The sauce continues to thicken as it sits so err on the side of slightly looser when tossing with pasta
03 -
  • Do not overcrowd the pan when cooking seafood or it will steam instead of getting a nice simmer
  • Let the sauce reduce uncovered so it thickens properly and clings to the pasta
  • Grate a little parmesan over individual bowls if you want but offer it on the side since some purists prefer no cheese with seafood
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