Seafood Marinara Pasta (Print Version)

Italian-style pasta topped with a medley of fresh seafood in a rich tomato sauce.

# 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 - ½ 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 - ½ 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 spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute more.
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 scallops to the sauce; simmer for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and mussels, cover, and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp turn pink and mussels open, discarding any unopened mussels.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss gently to incorporate. Use reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Plate immediately, garnishing with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Four kinds of seafood means every bite feels luxurious without requiring a fancy restaurant reservation.
  • It comes together in under an hour, yet tastes like you've been simmering something all afternoon.
  • The sauce is bright enough to let the seafood shine but rich enough to coat every strand of pasta.
02 -
  • Mussels that don't open in the pan should be discarded—they were dead before cooking, and dead mussels aren't safe to eat.
  • Pasta water is not just water; it's liquid starch that binds the sauce to the noodles, so don't skip saving some before you drain.
  • Overcrowding the pan with seafood means it steams instead of cooking, so use a skillet that gives everything breathing room.
03 -
  • Buy seafood from a fishmonger rather than the supermarket if you can; they know which shrimp are sweetest and which mussels are safest.
  • This pasta refuses to sit around waiting, so set the table and pour the wine before you start cooking.
  • Leftovers are magical reheated gently with a splash of water the next day for lunch, but honestly, there are rarely any leftovers.
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