Description
This Simple Mixed Seafood Tomato Marinara Pasta is a delicious Italian-inspired dish combining spaghetti with a flavorful tomato-based sauce and an assortment of fresh seafood. Featuring shrimp, scallops, and mussels simmered in a rich blend of crushed tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and white wine, this pasta dish offers a perfect balance of tangy, savory, and slightly spicy notes. Ready in just 40 minutes, it’s perfect for a quick yet impressive seafood dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Seafood
- 1 pound mixed seafood (shrimp peeled and deveined, scallops, and mussels cleaned)
Finishing Touches
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti or linguine according to the package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Prepare the sauce base: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Deglaze and simmer the sauce: Pour in the dry white wine and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to slightly reduce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and dried basil. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer gently for 10 minutes to develop flavor.
- Cook the seafood: Add the mixed seafood to the simmering sauce and cover the skillet. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn pink, scallops become opaque, and mussels open. Discard any mussels that do not open.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the unsalted butter and chopped fresh parsley to enrich and freshen the sauce.
- Toss pasta with sauce: Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet and toss well to coat in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it to your desired consistency.
- Serve: Serve the pasta immediately, topped with grated Parmesan cheese if desired for an extra savory touch.
Notes
- Substitute any combination of seafood such as clams, calamari, or crab to customize the dish.
- For a richer flavor, add a splash of seafood stock to the tomato sauce while simmering.
- Omit the Parmesan cheese to enjoy a more traditional Italian-style seafood pasta.
