Seafood Marinara Pasta (Printable)

Italian dish with fresh seafood, tangy tomato sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta, garnished with parsley.

# What You 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 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 + 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti or linguine according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Stir in minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for an additional minute.
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 well and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add squid rings and sea scallops to the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Then incorporate shrimp and mussels; cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp turn pink and mussels open, discarding any unopened mussels.
06 - Add the drained pasta into the sauce, tossing gently to coat. Incorporate reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately, topped with chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce tastes like you've been simmering it for hours, but it comes together in under 30 minutes.
  • Every bite has different textures and flavors dancing together—tender shrimp, briny mussels, chewy squid, and buttery scallops.
  • Lemon wedges at the end add a brightness that makes the whole dish feel lighter and more alive.
  • It's naturally elegant enough for company but easy enough for a regular Tuesday night.
02 -
  • Don't cook the seafood until just before serving—you can prep everything else ahead, but those shrimp and mussels need to hit the heat within minutes of when people will eat.
  • If a mussel doesn't open after cooking, it was dead before it went in the pan and you shouldn't eat it, no matter how stubborn it looks.
  • The pasta water is genuinely essential—it's not just a backup, it's the thing that transforms this from a noodles-drowning-in-sauce situation into something elegant and cohesive.
03 -
  • Buy your seafood the same day you plan to cook—it makes a noticeable difference in both flavor and how quickly it cooks.
  • If you're worried about cooking seafood, remember that undercooked seafood is way less scary than rubbery shrimp; when in doubt, pull it off the heat a moment earlier and taste as you go.
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