Enjoy an Italian restaurant-level dinner in the comfort of your own home with this creamy and easy seafood pasta! You won’t believe how easily this dish comes together with simple, flavorful ingredients. The buttery sauce is loaded with a mix of seafood, hearty linguine, fragrant garlic, black pepper, a hint of citrus, and plenty of cheese. It is the best seafood pasta recipe and one that will wow your friends and family!
Make this dish for a special occasion or even a weeknight meal. With easy prep and just 10 minutes of cooking time, you can enjoy a luxurious pasta any day of the week! If you want to try more easy pasta recipes, then try my chicken alfredo recipe, homemade cacio e pepe, or easy chicken pesto recipes.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Noodles – linguine noodles cooked al dente pair well with the thick, creamy seafood pasta sauce. Alternatively, you can use spaghetti or fettuccine noodles.
Shrimp – choose uncooked large shrimp. Peel and devein them before starting this recipe. If using frozen, thaw thoroughly before cooking.
Scallops – you’ll need 12 sea scallops. Pat them dry with a paper or cloth towel to remove any excess moisture and help form a good crust when cooking.
Mussels – get 12 live mussels with closed shells. If any mussels are open, gently tap them to shut. If they don’t close, discard them (they’re dead and not safe to use).
Butter – use unsalted butter to avoid making the sauce too salty.
Garlic – mince fresh garlic cloves or use 2 teaspoons of pre-minced garlic from the grocery store.
Cream – heavy cream is a key ingredient in making this creamy shrimp pasta. Don’t skip it.
White Wine – a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc adds a subtle acidic flavor to the pasta sauce that pairs well with the citrus and cheese.
Broth – chicken broth adds flavor and depth to the sauce. Use regular or low-sodium chicken broth. Alternatively, you can use vegetable broth or seafood stock.
Lemon – a hint of fresh lemon zest in the sauce perfectly accents the rich flavors. Additionally, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the pasta before serving.
How to Make Seafood Pasta
1. Boil the linguine noodles in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water to use later.
2. While the pasta cooks, sprinkle the shrimp and scallops with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and scallops and brown on each side, about 1½ minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the cream, wine, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the mussels. Cover and cook until the mussels open, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the mussels from the skillet with a slotted spoon (to save the sauce) and set aside. Discard any mussels that did not open during cooking.
5. Gradually whisk grated parmesan cheese into the cream sauce in the skillet until well combined.
6. Mix in ¼ cup of reserved pasta water to the cream sauce. Whisk in the lemon zest, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper to the skillet, and continue whisking until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
7. Add the cooked pasta, using tongs to toss them in the sauce to coat completely.
8. Stir in the shrimp, scallops, and mussels. Garnish with parsley and ¼ cup of parmesan and serve with lemon wedges.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Use fresh seafood. Fresh is best for optimal flavor. Mussels should always be fresh, but you can also use frozen shrimp and scallops in a pinch. Thaw completely before preparing and cooking.
- Heavily salt the pasta water. Properly salting the water adds significant flavor to the pasta and the dish so always make sure to stir in enough salt before bringing the water to a boil. I recommend 1-2 tablespoons for every gallon of water.
- Spice it up. Add red pepper flakes or cajun seasoning to the shrimp and scallops while cooking them, or mix into the sauce for extra heat.
- Gradually mix in parmesan. When making the sauce, slowly add the cheese to the skillet as you stir it in to prevent it from clumping up. This will give the sauce the best even, smooth texture.
- Optional: remove the mussels from the skillet when mixing in the cheese. The cheese can get stuck in the mussel shells when stirring it in, which is why I remove them from the pan before stirring in the cheese. If doing so, carefully transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Once the cheese sauce is smooth and creamy you can gently fold them back in.
- Optional variations. Try mixing in sundried or fresh tomato, spinach, capers, olives, or mushrooms when cooking the cream sauce. Additionally, add chunks of white fish, lobster, or calamari rings to switch up the seafood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The seafood will not last longer than about 3 days, so I don’t suggest keeping it longer. Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of water or broth to keep the pasta from drying out. I don’t recommend freezing this seafood pasta recipe because the seafood and pasta will not keep the right texture.
Serve this pasta alongside a kale salad, classic garlic bread, or toasted sourdough bread topped with fresh bruschetta. If you’re in the mood for an adult beverage, seafood pasta recipes always pair well with a glass of medium-bodied dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc, to bring out all the delicious flavors.
Mussels are super easy to cook! They just take a few steps to prepare before adding to this recipe. Make sure all of the mussels are fresh and closed when you purchase them. If any do not close when you tap on them, discard them. Gently scrub the mussel shells under cold running water to eliminate any debris and remove any “beards,” or the stringy threads around the edges, by gently tugging them away from the shells. If you’re buying them from a seafood shop, as the monger to debeard them for you! Once cleaned, cook the mussels according to the recipe.
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If you’ve tried this Seafood Pasta recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Seafood Pasta
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine noodles (225g)
- 8 ounces uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined (225g)
- 8 ounces scallops patted dry (225g)
- ¾ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ cup heavy cream (180mL)
- ½ cup dry white wine (120mL)
- ½ cup chicken broth (120mL)
- 12 mussels scrubbed and debearded (225g)
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more to serve (60g)
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Boil the linguine in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ¼ cup pasta water.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle the shrimp and scallops with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and scallops and cook, flipping halfway through cooking, until the scallops are browned and the shrimp is pink and opaque, about 1½ minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the cream, wine, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the mussels. Cover and cook until the mussels open, about 2 minutes. Remove mussels with a slotted spoon from the skillet and set aside. Discard any that did not open during cooking.
- Gradually whisk in the parmesan and ¼ cup of reserved pasta water to the cream sauce in the skillet. Whisk in the lemon zest, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to skillet, and continue whisking until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Add the cooked pasta, tossing to coat.
- Stir in the shrimp, scallops, and mussels. Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges and more parmesan.
Notes
- Use fresh seafood. Fresh is best for optimal flavor. Mussels should always be fresh, but you can also use frozen shrimp and scallops in a pinch. Thaw completely before preparing and cooking.
- Heavily salt the pasta water. Properly salting the water adds significant flavor to the pasta and the dish so always make sure to stir in enough salt before bringing the water to a boil. I recommend 1-2 tablespoons for every gallon of water.
- Spice it up. Add red pepper flakes or cajun seasoning to the shrimp and scallops while cooking them, or mix into the sauce for extra heat.
- Gradually mix in parmesan. When making the sauce, slowly add the cheese to the skillet as you stir it in to prevent it from clumping up. This will give the sauce the best even, smooth texture.
- Optional: remove the mussels from the skillet when mixing in the cheese. The cheese can get stuck in the mussel shells when stirring it in, which is why I remove them from the pan before stirring in the cheese. If doing so, carefully transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Once the cheese sauce is smooth and creamy you can gently fold them back in.
- Optional variations. Try mixing in sundried or fresh tomato, spinach, capers, olives, or mushrooms when cooking the cream sauce. Additionally, add chunks of white fish, lobster, or calamari rings to switch up the seafood.
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