Seafood Pasta Recipe
This Seafood Pasta coats fresh seafood and pasta in a silky white wine sauce for a restaurant-quality Italian meal.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces 40/60 scallops, side muscle removed
- 1 pound, peeled and deveined 16/20 shrimp
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 peeled small-diced shallot
- 6 finely minced garlic cloves
- 1 pound bucatini pasta
- 1 seeded small-diced Fresno pepper
- 1 pound scrubbed and rinsed fresh mussels, byssus threads removed
- 12 scrubbed and rinses fresh clams
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- ¼ cup finely minced fresh parsley
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, optional
- optional garnishes: zest of ½ lemon, crushed red pepper flakes, finely grated
- Parmigiano Reggiano, and finely minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pat the scallops and shrimp dry well with paper towels. Keep them separate.
- Add the olive oil to a large saucier or rondeau pot over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is smoking in the pan, add them in, spread them out, and immediately season them with salt. Sear for 20 to 30 seconds per side or just until browned.
- Set them aside on a plate. Return the pan to the burner over medium heat, add the shrimp, spread them out, season with salt, and cook for 45 seconds per side or until pink and just before being cooked completely through. They should be in a loose C shape. Set them aside with the scallops.
- Next, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the shallots and garlic, and cook over low to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
- In the meantime, drop the bucatini pasta as it will take 9 to 11 minutes to cook. If you are worried there are too many things going on at once, you can par-boil, drain, cool with cold water, and coat in oil until you need them.
- Return to the pan with shallots and garlic, they should be lightly browned. Add in the Fresno peppers and sauté over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the mussels and clams, then saute for 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine, add the stock, season with salt, and cover the pot for 4 to 5 minutes, or just until the shellfish have opened.
- Set the shellfish aside, and in the pan, add the butter and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Once melted, the pasta should be done cooking, so add it to the pot along with the Parmigiano and parsley. If you precooked the pasta, just reheat it briefly in some boiling water for 20 seconds, then add it to the pot.
- Vigorously mix the pasta until it is coated in the sauce and emulsified.
- Next, toss back in the cooked seafood back in and fold until combined. At this point, you can fold in the tomatoes.
- Serve the pasta in the pot or in a large bowl with additional optional garnishes of lemon zest, red pepper flakes, Parmigiano, and parsley.
Notes
Even though this recipe isn’t all that difficult, it moves fast, so I recommend practicing mise en place. Trust me, by having your seafood cleaned, aromatics chopped, liquids measured, and cheese grated before turning on the stove, you’ll have a much more enjoyable time in the kitchen.
If you aren't cooking the fresh clams and mussels the day you buy them, place them in a colander set inside a larger bowl, cover with ice, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. After that, toss ‘em.
Frozen seafood alternative: As I mentioned, frozen shrimp and scallops are often just as fresh as the stuff at the counter. Just thaw them in the refrigerator before cooking. You can also use pre-cooked and frozen clams and mussels. Just toss them right in the pot without cleaning or thawing first.
Before you drain all of the pasta cooking water, scoop out about 1 cup and set it aside. If your sauce looks a little dry after tossing it with the pasta and cheese, add a splash of water to instantly loosen it up and make it silky.
Make-Ahead: This pasta is meant to be served right away. If I need to keep it warm before serving, I’ll cover the pot and keep it over low heat for 15 to 30 minutes.
How to Store: Within 2 hours of cooking, I’ll cover the leftover pasta and seafood and store it in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. Leftover seafood doesn’t store well, so I try to eat the leftovers sooner rather than later.
How to Reheat: I reheat the seafood and creamy pasta in a large covered pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. To loosen the sauce, I’ll toss it with a splash of stock or water as needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 919kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 40gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 872mgPotassium: 961mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1190IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 230mgIron: 5mg