A classic, easy seafood pasta made using a seafood marinara mix: prawns / shrimp, calamari, fish and mussels tossed through a simple, tasty tomato sauce. Made properly, the real proper Italian way, this Seafood Spaghetti Marinara is dinner on the table in 20 minutes!
Seafood Spaghetti Marinara
This recipe is dedicated to Bill and Pauline, the owners of a gorgeous young Golden Retriever called Lucy that Dozer plays with regularly at the beach.
When I say “dedicated”, I don’t mean any kind of heartfelt, deep and meaningful dedication. There is no sentiment behind this dedication.
It is just that I’ve now dictated this recipe to them three times while Dozer and Lucy were playing on the beach, and rather than continuing that weekly routine, I thought I’d just write the recipe out properly for them!!!
While a seafood pasta may sound fancy, in actual fact, this is super fast and easy to make. It really is dinner on the table in 20 minutes, if you can manage boiling the pasta while you make the (very easy) sauce.
I don’t want to show off, but it takes me 15 minutes. Should I do a video to prove it?? 😉
Mind you, I start with a pre-prepared seafood Marinara mix. Nowadays good seafood stores sell great quality marinara (the fish monger in Pittwater Place, for those in my area!), a good mix of small prawns/shrimp, pieces of fish, slices of calamari and shelled mussels. And it’s super great value too.
The key to the sauce for this pasta is searing the seafood first, then removing it before proceeding to make the pasta sauce. This way, the seafood is not overcooked, and also the sauce benefits from the residual flavour left in the pan after searing the seafood.
For the sauce – tomato passata
I like to make this sauce using tomato passata (pictured above) which is simply pureed plain tomatoes. It’s thicker and smooth, unlike canned crushed tomatoes, so it makes a lovely quick sauce. Nowadays, passata is sold in all major supermarkets here in Australia – in the pasta section – and it costs just a little more than canned tomatoes.
Toss the pasta!!
The other important step for this recipe is emulsifying. It sounds fancy, but all it requires is cooking the pasta in the sauce with some pasta cooking water for a minute or two right before serving.
This is a secret step mastered by all the Italian Nonna’s and proper restaurants around the world that makes all the difference. It’s magic because it thickens the sauce so it clings lusciously to every strand of pasta. Rather than a watery pool of sauce in the bottom of the bowl. 🙂
If you want to get technical, it’s because of the reaction that occurs between the starch in the pasta cooking water and the oil in the sauce. 🙂
I made this yesterday (Tuesday) and bumped into Pauline and Bill at the dog park just after I gave the homeless man a big steaming container of this pasta. The homeless man gave this a big thumbs up. Pauline and Bill politely declined my request for a family photo to include in this post. However, I know they’re certainly looking forward to getting their hands on this recipe – written out properly for them!!
– Nagi x
PS To bridge the communication gap: “Marinara” to most of the world other than Australia means a tomato pasta sauce. Not to be confused with “Marinara seafood mix” as sold in Australia, being a premix of different types of seafood in bite size pieces. So to Australians, “Spaghetti Marinara” means a seafood pasta, whereas in other countries, it means spaghetti in a tomato sauce.
In this particular recipe, it’s pasta with seafood in a tomato sauce….so I sort of captured both meanings!!!
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Seafood Spaghetti Marinara
Ingredients
- 6 oz / 180g dried spaghetti pasta (or other long pasta of choice)
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 10 oz / 300g seafood Marinara mix , or make your own (Note 1)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , finely chopped (~1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup white wine (any) (Note 2)
- 2 cups tomato passata/tomato puree (Note 3) OR 600g/20oz canned crushed tomato + 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to packet directions, but reduce the cooking time by 1 minute (because the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). RESERVE 1 mug of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Separate the seafood mix based on cook time. Longest cook time: fish and medium / large prawns, medium cook time: small prawns, shortest cook time: calamari.
- Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add fish and large prawns first, cook for 30 seconds. Add small prawns, cook for 30 seconds. Add calamari, cook for 1 minute. Immediately transfer everything to a bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium high. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil, then add garlic and onion. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Add wine and bring to simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet to mix the brown bits into the liquid. Simmer for 1 minute or until alcohol smell has evaporated.
- Add tomato passata, sugar, salt & pepper. Low heat to medium high, bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Add pasta, seafood, around 1/2 cup of reserved pasta cooking water into the sauce. Toss gently and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and coats the pasta.
- Serve, garnished with fresh parsley. (See Note 4 re: parmesan cheese)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer: Being dumped by a wave. Came out of it with his tail still wagging, and went straight back in for more. Currently trying to teach him to body-surf. It is not going well. 🙂
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Hi Nagi
At last we have the written version so nothing should go wrong now – -no relying on our memory any more. Fantastic! The recipe is Bill’s speciality which is great as I get a night off from cooking. It is so tasty and easy to make. Thank you so much. Sadly Dozer’s young friend Lucy will not be getting any – she has to watch her weight! ?
PAULINE! I am SO DELIGHTED to hear from you!!! Bill spoils you – as he should!!! I look forward to hearing the next time you make this. See you tomorrow I hope? Even if it’s pouring with rain?? 😉 N x
Hey Nagi, I feel so hungry browsing your site – I hope Bill and Pauline enjoyed this pasta recipe. What a nice gesture on donating food to the homeless. This piping hot pasta will definitely keep their bellies warm and keep the winter chills off.. at least for another night. I never thought I would find a web site with both of my favourite subjects in one spot – my love of eating and drooling over beautiful food photos and my love of golden retrievers. I love the surf photos of Dozer. He is super awesome just like his mum!
I hope they enjoy it too Ada!! I’m so glad you found me too – and that we have met!! Albert is so gorgeous, we have been missing him at the beach so we’re delighted that you’ve started coming! And thank you SO MUCH for the homemade dog treats. Dozer went nuts over them! Hopefully see you this weekend! We beach it rain, hail or shine! (Seriously, Carolyn is nuts – and I can’t deprive Dozer of her company if I know she is going even if it is pouring with rain!)
I am so happy to be able to join and participate in the wonderful beach community as well as your amazing food website. It is wonderful to have met you and Dozer in person !
I get a buzz everytime I visit the beach with Albert, what a wonderful way to meet and make new friends of the human and the four legged kind 🙂 I have caught onto the beach going madness and turned up today, driving around downed trees and flash flooding on the roads.
What a day at the beach – it was a total wipeout and it was total madeness but I loved it !! We had it all to ourselves plus a couple of super fast racing greyhounds racing through the high tide covered sandbank.
LOL! I am glad Dozer enjoyed the dog treat … they were my very first attempt at baking them, now , I did get Albert to taste test them first to ensure they are golden retriever friendly. You are so very welcome and kind in trying them out.
I did not end up cooking the Miso Salmon last night as I only started preparing the miso marindade at 1pm on Saturday, they are still marinating in the fridge for 48 hours, waiting=g for me to cook them for dinner tonight! I can’t wait to taste them!
Wow, impressed you braved the weather Ada!!! Oooh, I do hope you enjoy the salmon…. I look forward to hearing!! Give Albie a big hug from me, and please make sure he stays bundled up and warm today!!!
Yesssss! This is so great! I love how you “dedicated” I do this ALL THE TIME! Because of precisely this reason. I am not however as fancy as you…meeting people on the beach and such. This looks really great! And I LOOOOVE that first photo 🙂
BA HA HA!!! I bet you do!!! Do you know, I have your roasted chipotle cauliflower at least a couple of times every month – usually more? I am insanely obsessed with it. And seriously, I make it as a side and even as “popcorn”, like you did!
This seafood pasta dish looks and sounds delicious, and ready in 20 minutes, it’s a must make!
Thank you Fida! You’re so kind! 🙂 N x
Hey Nagi! I am a lover of seafood! Aussie as you know, but I was wondering if you know a white sauce version of this as for me tomato does not do seafood the justice if deserves, s and I prefer less pf an acidic and more creamy version (I love creamy sauces)…Don’t get me wrong, I will eat it both til the cows come home if it was presented to me,but I was wondering if you have one,as I have tried it both ways and enjoyed it!
Hi Dee! You must’ve read my mind – I literally just made a pasta bake with a creamy white sauce that I was planning to share in a few weeks! Do you want me to email the recipe to you now? It’s made with a roux base, not cream, so while it’s beautifully creamy, it isn’t crazy rich. Otherwise you could use seafood in place of salmon in this Alfredo recipe if you are after a straight creamy pasta recipe -> https://promotown.info/salmon-alfredo-pasta-done/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Your recipes never disappoint. I think you must a some Italian blood in you and we may be related. 🙂 I’ve used the mixed seafood before but more in a capri style — lots of lemon, butter and capers. I will have to try this. Now I want to tell you about one of my favorite authors — Linda Howard. I just finished her latest book “Troublemaker” and knowing how much you love Dozer you’ll love the book. The star you could say is Tricks — the heroines golden retriever. It is a great story – I hated to see it end. If you lived close by I’d loan you my book 🙂 Have a great evening!!
Oh gosh! Thank you for the tip Marisa, I’m about to finish my current book and didn’t have another! 🙂 I also just realised I did back to back Italian(esque) recipes ? What is WITH ME Marisa?? I need to organise my editorial calendar better!!! 🙂
Oh I can smell it from here :). Love quick recipes . Thanks for sharing. x
Hope you try it Eva! 🙂
Well, what’s not to love about this recipe???? I can almost taste it!
And writing about it is TORTURE! 🙂
I love your recipes and I love that you post pictures of your pup! I will probably try this sometime this weekend!
Ooh hope you do try it Christina! And I’m glad you like seeing pictures of my pup – I love sharing them!!! 🙂 Have a fab weekend – N x
Hi there Nagi, this looks soooo good! Mike and I were just talking recently about making a calimari dish. Can’t do fish but the seafood would be delicious, esp. with fresh basil.
And THANK YOU for the tip about the pasta water!! I had no idea that thickens the sauce as we do end up with watery tomato sauce at the bottom of our bowls! 😛
Ooooh! This will be fab with any seafood that you can manage Barb!! And honestly, I promise, the first time you try the pasta water method, you will never go back!! It’s the secret to making amazing pastas even if you just use garlic and olive oil i.e. aglio e olio 🙂 Have a fab weekend Barb! Very late responding to messages this week, been a super busy couple of days! 🙂
PS, glad to know about the marinara sauce thing, otherwise if I ever get to Australia and order “spaghetti marinara,” I’d get a big plate of SURPRISE! 😉
BA HA HA! Especially if you DON’T EAT FISH!!! 🙂
Hi Nagi! This sounds divine! I can actually get a seafood mix like you describe in the frozen section at my local store and it’s reasonably priced. I use it on seafood pizza. I have some in the freezer downstairs so I think this weekend would be a good time to try your recipe! We got side tracked by the holiday weekend so I haven’t used the Gochujang yet, but I’ll get there! 🙂
Oooh! I would be SO thrilled if you were to give this recipe a go!!! Say hi to Gary for me! 🙂