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Seafood Spaghetti

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Seafood Spaghetti is an Italian-inspired pasta featuring tender spaghetti, shrimp, mussels, clams, and calamari in a garlicky tomato sauce. Fresh herbs, olive oil, lemon, and red pepper create a vibrant seafood dinner suitable for everyday meals or special occasions.

Ingredients

  • Spaghetti
  • Salt, for the pasta water
  • Reserved pasta cooking water
  • Large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • Mussels, cleaned and debearded
  • Clams, scrubbed
  • Calamari, cleaned and sliced into rings
  • Sea scallops, optional
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Garlic, thinly sliced or minced
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Seafood stock or clam juice
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh parsley, chopped
  • Fresh basil, optional
  • Fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
  2. Add the spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente according to the package directions.
  3. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the spaghetti.
  4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
  5. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook briefly until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic excessively.
  6. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften.
  7. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and seafood stock or clam juice.
  8. Simmer the sauce for 8–10 minutes to develop the flavors.
  9. Add the clams and mussels, cover the skillet, and cook for several minutes until they begin to open.
  10. Add the shrimp, calamari, and optional scallops.
  11. Continue cooking just until the shrimp are opaque, the calamari is tender, and the shellfish have opened. Discard any mussels or clams that remain closed after cooking.
  12. Add the drained spaghetti directly to the skillet.
  13. Toss gently until the pasta is thoroughly coated in the sauce, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time if additional moisture is needed.
  14. Stir in the fresh parsley, optional basil, and fresh lemon juice.
  15. Taste and adjust the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes as needed.
  16. Serve immediately with additional parsley and lemon wedges if desired.

Notes

  • The combination of seafood can be adjusted according to freshness and availability.
  • Frozen seafood can be used if thawed safely in the refrigerator and drained or patted dry before cooking.
  • Add seafood toward the end of cooking to help prevent it from becoming tough or rubbery.
  • For a white seafood spaghetti, omit the tomatoes and use additional seafood stock, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and pasta water.
  • Firm white fish can be added for a heartier seafood combination.
  • Linguine, fettuccine, or bucatini can be substituted for spaghetti.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
  • Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of seafood stock, tomato sauce, or water and avoid prolonged cooking.
  • Freezing is not recommended because the seafood and pasta can lose their ideal texture after thawing.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thefamilycooking.com/seafood-spaghetti/