Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Seafood Pasta
Seafood pasta makes a generous plate for an evening when you feel like lingering at dinner. There is something good to find around every twirl, from shrimp to a mussel tucked into the tomato sauce.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 14 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Seafood
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Reduce tomato sauce separately
Let the seasoned tomato sauce simmer until just beginning to thicken, then stir in butter and remove it from the heat.
2. Save pasta water for the shellfish
Reserve the measured cooking liquid before draining the spaghetti; it is used to simmer the clams and mussels.
3. Cook the seafood in stages
Brown scallops and remove, cook shrimp and remove, then simmer the shellfish before bringing everything back together.
Get to know the ingredients
Pureed whole tomatoes
Puree the canned San Marzano tomatoes in a blender or processor before they join the softened onion and garlic.
Prepared mussels
Scrub and debeard the mussels before their covered simmer with clams and reserved pasta water near the end.
Peeled shrimp
Peel and devein the shrimp before cooking; leaving the tails on is an included presentation choice.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 12 steps completeMake room for Seafood Pasta
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Toss the reunited pasta gently
Return shrimp and scallops with tomato sauce and spaghetti, toss to coat everything, then sprinkle with parsley and serve.
A little more help as you go
Discard unopened shells
After the covered shellfish cook, discard any clam or mussel shells that did not open before combining the pasta.
Cook spaghetti during sauce simmer
Use the tomato sauce's simmering stage to boil the spaghetti according to its package, remembering to reserve cooking water.
A few questions you might have
Do clams and mussels go in with the scallops?
They have their own covered simmer after the cooked scallops and shrimp are removed, using the reserved pasta water.
How should the scallops look before removing them?
Cook them until browned and opaque, then take them out before seasoning and cooking the shrimp in the pan.
When is the sauce butter added?
Stir it in once the tomato sauce has just begun thickening, then remove that sauce from the heat.
Can I use another pasta shape?
Another long pasta is included as an option alongside spaghetti; cook it according to its package directions.
Is crushed red pepper essential?
It is optional and goes into the tomato sauce after the garlic, before adding pureed tomatoes and simmering.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
