Description
This Simple Mixed Seafood Tomato Marinara Pasta is a delightful seafood pasta dish featuring tender scallops, shrimp, mussels, and clams simmered in a rich marinara sauce. Served over al dente linguine or spaghetti and garnished with fresh parsley and optional lemon juice and parmesan, this recipe offers a quick yet elegant dinner that captures the flavors of the sea with a comforting Italian twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- Approx. 4 ounces linguine or spaghetti (56 grams; enough for 2 people)
Seafood
- 8 scallops, thawed (if frozen)
- 8 shrimp, thawed and deveined
- 8 mussels, cleaned and beards removed
- 8 clams, cleaned
Sauce & Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 cups marinara pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
- Optional: juice of 1/2 a lemon
- Optional: freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the linguine or spaghetti according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Sear the scallops: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the scallops in the pan and cook them for 3-4 minutes on each side until they turn opaque. Remove the scallops from the pan and set them aside on a clean plate.
- Cook the shrimp: In the same pan, cook the shrimp for about 1 minute per side until they turn pink and are just cooked through. You can add more olive oil if needed. Remove shrimp and place them on the plate with the scallops.
- Simmer seafood in marinara sauce: Pour the marinara sauce into the same pan and bring it to a simmer. Add the mussels and clams to the simmering sauce, then cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until all the shells have opened. Discard any unopened shells.
- Combine seafood and pasta: Remove the pan from the heat. Return the cooked scallops and shrimp to the sauce, then add the cooked pasta and finely chopped parsley. Stir everything together gently until well combined and heated through.
- Serve and garnish: Divide the mixed seafood marinara pasta onto plates. Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a bit of heat, and freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Ensure that all shellfish are properly cleaned and beards removed before cooking to avoid grit.
- Do not overcook scallops or shrimp to maintain their tender texture.
- Discard any mussels or clams that do not open after cooking to ensure safety.
- You may use spaghetti instead of linguine based on availability or preference.
- For a spicier dish, increase the amount of red pepper flakes to taste.
- Fresh parsley adds a bright, fresh flavor but can be substituted with basil or omitted if unavailable.
