Seafood Marinara Pasta (Printable)

Italian pasta with seafood simmered in a rich tomato sauce, garnished with parsley and lemon wedges.

# 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 the pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for an additional minute.
03 - Pour in the dry white wine and simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
04 - Incorporate crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add squid rings and sea scallops to the sauce, simmer for 2 minutes. Next, add shrimp and mussels, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until shrimp turn pink and mussels open; discard any unopened mussels.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet with seafood marinara. Toss gently to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Plate immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Four types of seafood make this taste like you spent hours on it, but honestly it's barely 45 minutes start to finish.
  • The sauce is silky and coats every piece perfectly, and somehow the pasta water trick makes everything feel luxurious and connected.
  • It's the kind of dish that impresses people at the table without making you feel frazzled in the kitchen.
02 -
  • The difference between rubbery squid and tender squid is about 30 seconds—add it early so it gets those extra couple of minutes, or cook it separately and add it at the very end if you're nervous.
  • Mussels don't all open at the same speed, so cover the pan to create steam, which helps them open evenly, and don't walk away or you might miss someone opening and then overcooking.
  • Pasta water is genuinely your secret weapon here—it's not just filler, it's an emulsifier that makes the sauce cling to the pasta instead of sliding off.
03 -
  • Always taste your sauce before adding the seafood because that's your last chance to adjust the salt, acid balance, and seasoning—once the seafood goes in, you can't change it as easily.
  • Cook the squid and scallops a full two minutes before the shrimp and mussels go in, because they're tougher and need the head start to cook through evenly.
Go Back