Sep 03 2026
Restaurants›Santa Fe Seafood & Grill›Seafood Pasta Recipe

Seafood Pasta Recipe

Inspired by Santa Fe Seafood & Grill
Time40m
Serves4

Make Seafood Pasta Recipe in just 40m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Pasta & Pasta Cooking

Seafood

Sauce

Finishing

Method

Pasta & Pasta Cooking

  1. 1

    Bring water to a boil

    In a large pot bring 4 liters (about 1 gallon) of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt once boiling.

  2. 2

    Cook pasta

    Add 12 oz spaghetti or linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente (usually 8–10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

Seafood

  1. 3

    Season seafood

    Pat shrimp, scallops, and calamari dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Gently toss to coat. Keep crab meat refrigerated until ready to add (do not over-handle).

  2. 4

    Sear seafood

    Heat a large wide skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil (or 1 tablespoon of the olive oil from the sauce section). When shimmering, add scallops in a single layer and sear 1.5–2 minutes per side until golden; remove to a plate. Add shrimp and sear 1–2 minutes per side until just opaque; remove. Quickly sear calamari 30–60 seconds until just firm and slightly curled; remove. Return pan off heat. (Cooking seafood first prevents overcooking later.)

Sauce

  1. 5

    Sweat aromatics

    Wipe the pan if necessary, then reduce heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. When butter melts, add 1 large finely chopped shallot and sauté 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add 6 cloves garlic (minced or sliced) and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

  2. 6

    Deglaze

    Pour in 1 cup dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits. Increase heat to medium-high and let the wine reduce by about half (3–4 minutes).

  3. 7

    Build sauce

    Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add 1 cup low-sodium chicken or seafood stock and 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook 4–5 minutes so tomatoes start to soften and flavors concentrate.

  4. 8

    Finish sauce

    Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. If you prefer a creamier sauce, stir in 1 oz heavy cream now and heat gently (do not boil). Add 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley and adjust seasoning to taste.

  5. 9

    Add seafood back

    Return seared scallops, shrimp, calamari and the picked-over crab meat to the pan. Toss gently to warm through for 1–2 minutes; do not overcook. If sauce looks too thick, add reserved pasta water, 2–4 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency.

Finishing

  1. 10

    Combine pasta and sauce

    Add the drained pasta to the sauce and seafood in the pan. Toss or use tongs to coat the pasta evenly, cooking together 1–2 minutes so flavors meld. If necessary, add more reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.

  2. 11

    Plate and garnish

    Divide pasta and seafood among 4 plates. Drizzle each portion with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with 1 ounce grated Parmesan if using, and scatter additional chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

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