Seafood Pasta Recipe

Boil pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the linguine and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package directions). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

Prepare seafood

Pat all seafood dry with paper towels. Season shrimp, scallops and calamari lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper. Keep clams/mussels cold and discard any that do not close when tapped.

Cook firmer seafood first

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and sear 1–1½ minutes per side until golden but not fully cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Add shrimp and cook 30–60 seconds per side until just opaque; transfer to plate with scallops. Do not overcook.

Sweat aromatics

Lower heat to medium. In the same skillet add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add chopped shallot and cook 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and chopped anchovy fillets (if using) and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring so garlic does not burn.

Deglaze

Pour in 1 cup dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes.

Build the sauce

Add 1 cup seafood stock and 1 cup crushed tomatoes or passata. Stir in red pepper flakes, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 5–7 minutes until flavors meld and the sauce thickens slightly.

Cook clams/mussels

Add cleaned clams or mussels to the simmering sauce, cover the skillet and steam until they open, 4–6 minutes. Discard any that remain closed. If using smaller shellfish, monitor closely so other seafood does not overcook.

Add reserved seafood

Return the seared scallops and shrimp (and calamari if using) to the skillet. Stir gently to combine and heat through about 1–2 minutes. If calamari is raw, add it now and cook 1–2 minutes until just tender.

Toss with pasta

Add the drained linguine to the skillet (or transfer sauce to a large shallow pot if your pan is too small). Add up to 1 cup reserved pasta water, a little at a time, tossing until the sauce clings to the pasta and reaches desired consistency. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 cup grated cheese (if using) to enrich the sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Finish and serve

Remove from heat and squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon (about 1–2 tablespoons) and fold in 3 tablespoons chopped parsley. Plate the linguine topped with the seafood and spoon extra sauce over top. Garnish with extra parsley and additional grated cheese if desired. Serve immediately.