Seafood Marinara Pasta (Printable)

Fresh seafood simmered in rich tomato sauce, served with perfectly cooked pasta and fresh parsley garnish.

# Components:

→ 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 - ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
11 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
12 - ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp dry white wine
13 - 1 tsp dried oregano
14 - 1 tsp dried basil
15 - ½ 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 pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook 2-3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute more.
03 - Pour in dry white wine and simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
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 scallops to the sauce and simmer 2 minutes. Add shrimp and mussels, cover and cook 3-4 minutes until shrimp turn pink and mussels open; discard any unopened mussels.
06 - Toss drained pasta into the sauce gently. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen consistency. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Plate immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Four types of seafood means every forkful surprises you with something different, tender and briny and perfectly timed.
  • The sauce tastes like it simmered for hours, but you'll have dinner on the table in under 45 minutes.
  • It's one of those dishes that feels fancy enough for company but honest enough to make just for yourself on a Tuesday.
02 -
  • Mussels are finicky about timing—add them too early and they'll overcook and toughen; add them too late and they won't have time to open. Three to four minutes covered is the sweet spot, and if any don't open, they were already dead before they hit the pan.
  • Squid transforms completely in texture depending on cooking time: undercook it by even 30 seconds and it's rubbery; cook it a minute too long and it's still rubbery. Two minutes is the magic number, and that's why you add it first.
  • Reserving pasta water is not just a suggestion—those starchy-salty tablespoons are what make the sauce cling to the noodles instead of sliding off into a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
03 -
  • Buy seafood last at the market and cook it the same day; cold seafood is patient, but not forever, and the window between perfectly fresh and slightly off is shorter than you'd think.
  • Pat your scallops dry before they touch the pan—this small step is the difference between a golden sear and pale steamed sadness, and it takes about 10 seconds.
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