Seafood Pasta Wellplated Com

Mussels, scallops, and shrimp are the star in a garlic, butter, and white wine sauce. It’s a one-pot meal that is both quick and oo-la-la fancy. If you are intimidated by cooking with seafood, let this dish be your gateway. You can also try your hand at Garlic Shrimp Pasta or Salmon Pasta, also easy but impressive seafood pasta dishes.

Keys to Making Great Seafood Pasta

As with many Italian-leaning recipes, seafood pasta is simple, but its simplicity means that for the dish to taste its best, you need to adhere to a few essential details.

Quality Ingredients.

Fresh Seafood. You cannot cheap out on the seafood with this dish. The quality of the seafood is the essence of seafood pasta. Fresh mussels and scallops must be used, but frozen shrimp that are defrosted and patted dry are OK.Fresh Herbs. Use fresh garlic and parsley, not jarred garlic or dried parsley. They make a world of difference.Good Wine. As Ina Garten says, “cook with wine you would drink.”

Do Not Overcook the Seafood.

This is the #1 tip for making any seafood: do not overcook it!

Shrimp take just minutes, and is fully cooked once they just turn opaque.The key with mussels is steaming just until they open.Scallops’ done-cooking “tell” is like shrimp’s; fully cooked once they just turn opaque. Make sure to give them a good sear for an extra flavorful exterior.

What Kind of Sauce is Best with Seafood?

This seafood pasta recipe is a butter, garlic, white wine sauce. The simmered mussels additionally help build flavor, as their cooking liquid is incorporated into the sauce. It’s DIVINE.

If you are looking for a creamy white sauce seafood pasta, check out Cajun Shrimp Pasta.If red sauce is your jam, make Spicy Shrimp Pasta.For fresh and bright (simple chicken broth and lemony sauce with Parmesan cheese), make Shrimp Orzo with Lemon and Asparagus.

All are delicious, but I’m partial to this version.

How to Make Seafood Pasta

This pasta is a one-pot wonder, quick enough for a weeknight, and special enough to impress guests.

While I typically agree that adding cheese to a dish is never a bad idea, for this pasta, the seafood needs to shine. Seafood is delicate, and Parmesan has a strong salty and nutty flavor that would overpower it.Even though the sauce does not have cheese in it, it still tastes rich and flavorful from the garlic, butter, and cooking liquid from the mussels.

The Ingredients

Seafood. The star and reason for this dish!

Noodles. Linguine is the best type of pasta for seafood pasta in my opinion. The long and light noodles twirl beautifully to pick up sauce and bits of seafood with each bite, and I think it’s so elegant.

White Wine. A dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio pair well with the seafood. And then you can drink the extra with the meal. WIN.

Butter. Melted to sauté the seafood and start the base of the sauce, the butter adds the perfect amount of richness and flavor base.Aromatics. Shallot and garlic add that yum-yum pow of flavor.Seasonings. Old Bay is the classic seafood seasoning to enhance the dish.Lemon. Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a brightness to complements the fresh seafood.Herbs. Oregano, basil, and fresh parsley come together for that perfect Italian flair. Add optional red pepper flakes for a small heat kick.

The Directions

Storage Tips

To Store. Seafood pasta is best enjoyed immediately after preparation, but leftovers can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.To Reheat. Reheat gently on stove with a splash of water or broth to keep the pasta from drying out.To Freeze. I do not recommend freezing seafood pasta, as the seafood will not maintain its texture.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Tongs. Great for flipping the seafood and pulling pasta.Skillet with Lid. Make Healthy One-Pot Meals with this baby.Citrus Juicer. Makes squeezing the lemons a breeze, and keeps out the seeds. Works great for limes and oranges too (hello margaritas).

Don’t be scared to cook seafood! Timing-wise I find that if I add the noodles to the boiling about a minute or two after I start searing the scallops, the timing is perfect.