Seafood Marinara Pasta Medley (Print)

A classic Italian dish combining fresh seafood with rich tomato sauce over tender pasta.

# Ingredients:

→ 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

# Instructions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 more minute.
03 - Pour in the white wine and 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 scallops to the sauce, simmer for 2 minutes. Then add shrimp and mussels, cover and cook for 3–4 minutes until shrimp are pink and mussels open, discarding any unopened mussels.
06 - Add drained pasta to the sauce and toss gently to combine. Use reserved pasta water as needed to adjust sauce consistency.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • Four kinds of seafood cook at just the right pace so nothing becomes rubbery or tough.
  • The sauce tastes like you've been simmering it all day, but it's genuinely done in under an hour.
  • There's a moment when you taste it and realize you just made a restaurant-quality dinner at home.
02 -
  • Mussels are the timekeeper in this dish—overcook them by even a minute and they toughen; the moment they open, they're done.
  • Pasta water is a secret ingredient that transforms a sauce from separated and oily to creamy and cohesive without any cream.
  • Never add seafood to cold sauce; it needs to already be simmering so the proteins cook evenly instead of seizing up.
03 -
  • Keep a ladle full of pasta water nearby—it's your secret tool for creating silky sauce that clings to every strand.
  • Serve in warm bowls; cold bowls will cool the pasta faster and change how the whole dish tastes and feels.
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