The Weeknight Seafood Pasta I Make When I Want Something Special (original) (raw)

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Seafood is king in this elegant Seafood Pasta with white wine garlic butter sauce. This recipe is shockingly easy, making a restaurant-worthy dinner possible for any cook!

Seafood pasta with mussels, shrimp, and scallops in skillet.

5 Star Review

“Really great recipe when we hosted my in-laws for dinner!”

— Mary —

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 (and try Seafood Chowder next!).

You can also try your hand at Garlic Shrimp Pasta or Salmon Pasta, also easy but impressive seafood pasta dishes.

Skillet of linguine pasta with shrimp, mussels, and scallops.

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

The Ingredients

Shrimp. To save on time, you are welcome to purchase fresh shrimp that are already peeled and deveined, or even frozen. If using frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator and make sure they are fully patted dry before cooking.
Mussels. Good, fresh mussels should look wet and smell like the ocean: salty and clean. Do not buy mussels if they smell fishy or otherwise funky. Additionally, make sure they are all closed; discard any that are open. After purchasing, they can be left in fridge for up to 48 hours before cooking.
Scallops. Like mussels, give them the smell test, and pass on any that smell fishy. Seek out ones that are firm and dry over soft and wet, with a texture almost like pork chops.
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. If you prefer short-cut pasta, you could swap for penne, rotini, or bowtie pasta.
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. (You can also use broth or reserved pasta water instead of wine.)
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.

Market Swap

This recipe can be adapted to your favorite seafood, such as clams instead of mussels, or lobster instead of scallops.

The Directions

Mussels soaking in bowl of water.

Clean the mussels. Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Searing scallops and shrimp in skillet.

Sear the scallops and saute the shrimp. Transfer to a plate.

Garlic and shallot sauteing in butter in skillet.

Sauté the shallot and garlic in butter.

Pouring white wine into skillet with shallots and garlic.

Add wine and seasonings.

Mussels cooking in a saucepan with butter white wine sauce.

Add the mussels, cover, and steam until mussels open.

Lemon being squeezed into skillet with linguine pasta and seafood.

Add everything back to the skillet, toss, and enjoy!

What to Serve with Seafood Pasta

Skillet with seafood pasta garnished with fresh parsley.

With scallops, shrimp and mussels in garlic white wine butter sauce, this seafood pasta is an easy meal that tastes restaurant-worthy!

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1 pound mussels
Water
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces whole wheat linguine noodles or spaghetti or similar long pasta noodles
3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces sea scallops patted dry
8 ounces large shrimp peeled, deveined, and patted dry, tails on or off
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 shallot minced
4 cloves garlic minced (about 4 teaspoons)
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup dry white wine or use pasta water or broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay or similar seafood seasoning
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley plus additional for serving

Clean the mussels: Put the mussels in a large bowl and cover with cool water. Add flour and with your hands, mix to combine (don’t worry if there are still a few lumps of flour). Let soak for 30 minutes—during this time, the mussels will disgorge any sand. Drain. If the mussels have a “beard,” remove from each with your fingers and scrub away any dirt on the outside of the mussels under running water. Discard any mussels that are not tightly shut. Make sure you have the rest of your ingredients 100% prepped and ready to go.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil and cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water (don’t forget!), then drain the noodles*.
In a wide, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and the oil over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the scallops and sear on the first side for 1 1/2 minutes without disturbing, then flip and move them to one side of the pan. Add the shrimp to the now open side of the pan. Sprinkle everything with salt. Continue cooking, flipping the shrimp after about a minute or so, until the shrimp are no longer translucent and the scallops are cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and shallot. Sauté for 3 minutes until the shallot is beginning to soften and brown, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Let cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is super fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the wine, oregano, basil, and Old Bay. Bring to a boil, then add the mussels. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let steam until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Shake the skillet once or twice throughout to move the mussels around. Uncover the skillet and discard any mussels that did not open.
Immediately place the pasta in the skillet with the mussels. Add the lemon juice, scallops, shrimp, and parsley. With tongs, toss and stir until everything is evenly combined, adding some of the reserved pasta water as needed. Enjoy immediately with additional fresh parsley as desired.
*Ideally, time the recipe so that as soon as the noodles are finished cooking to al dente, you’re ready to add them directly to the skillet with the rest of the cooked seafood in step 6 (I use tongs and put them straight from the pasta water into the skillet). 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.
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.

Calories: 642kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 36gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 124mgPotassium: 671mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 929IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 7mg