Seafood Pasta is a classic Italian-inspired dish that combines tender seafood with pasta and a light, flavorful white wine sauce. This version keeps the sauce simple so it's not so overpowering.
This is the perfect dish that will make you look like you spent hours in the kitchen during the holiday season, special occasion or any day of the week. Try this recipe with my Béchamel Sauce for a twist on this classic dish!
Almost as good as Momma's Homemade Lasagna, Pasta alla Panna, Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo or Spaghetti with Anchovies.
Visit my recipe box for some more great recipe ideas inspired by Italian tradition!
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In Italy fresh seafood is readily available all year round. If you can't find fresh seafood, frozen will do just fine too! Just remember to thaw out in the fridge safely.
Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- Quick and Easy to make because the seafood doesn't take long to cook and minimal effort is needed to put this dish together.
- Customizable seafood ingredients allow you to use one or several seafood ingredients to suit your preference.
- Great taste combination of the white wine and the seafood pair well together to make a great tasting meal that your whole family will love.
- Fancy dish makes it look like you spent hours in the kitchen and is perfect for entertaining or a romantic dinner for two.
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Ingredients You'll Need
You will need the following ingredients to make Seafood Pasta recipe with White Wine Sauce: butter, olive oil, garlic, assorted seafood, seasoning, dry white wine, herbs, spaghetti, parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.
Assorted seafood is the star of this dish and you can use one type of seafood or several. The choice is yours.
Dry white wine is used to sauté the seafood and add flavor to the white sauce.
Herbs like basil or parsley are used to enhance the flavor and add a touch of decoration to the dish.
Parmesan cheese is optional and adds a salty bite.
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Seafood Pasta with White Wine Sauce
In a large skillet, sauté garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
Add cleaned and shelled seafood to the skillet.
Let cook on medium high for about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add white wine and cook covered for about another 10 minutes. You'll know when the seafood is cooked when the seafood is no longer transparent and is an opaque shade.
Once the spaghetti is ready, take a pasta spoon and scoop up the pasta and place it in the skillet with the seafood. Fold the sauce in to the spaghetti to combine all the ingredients together for about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle basil all over (optional).
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Meal Prep Tips
Remove pasta when it is "al dente". Al dente means when the pasta is almost cooked but is slightly hard. Al dente translated means "has a bite".
Do not throw out all of your pasta water. It is recommended that you reserve some pasta water to add to the skillet when mixing the pasta with the seafood, if necessary. If the pasta and seafood mixture is to dry, add some pasta water or some olive oil to the skillet.
Substitutions and Variations
Substitutions and variations to consider include:
- Gluten Free- Use a gluten free pasta to make this dish gluten free.
- Cream - add heavy cream to make a creamy seafood pasta version or my recipe for Bechamel Sauce.
- Vegetables - incorporate vegetables like cherry tomatoes, peas or broccoli to add more flavor and get those veggies in!
- Wine - replace the wine with seafood stock or broth to make it alcohol free
- Add ons - try adding bacon, black olives, sun dried tomatoes or anything with a salty bite
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
The best type of pasta to use in a seafood pasta dish is a long cut pasta like spaghetti, angel hair, fettucine or linguini.
You'll know when fish is cooked when it is flaky and falls apart and the meat is no longer transparent. In particular shrimp may turn a vibrant orange color and curl up to signify that they are cooked.
The best type of wine to use in a seafood dish is a dry white wine like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
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Recipe Details
Seafood Pasta with White Wine Sauce
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caAffiliate Disclosure
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 8 oz mussels shelled, raw
- 8 oz scallops raw
- 10 oz shrimp cleaned, raw
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine
- basil or parsley, fresh or dried
- 14.5 oz Spaghetti
- water for boiling pasta
- 4 tbsp parmesan cheese for serving in dishes, optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet, sauté garlic in the butter and olive oil.
- Add seafood and let cook on medium high for about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add white wine and cook covered for about another 10 minutes. You'll know when the seafood is cooked when the seafood is no longer transparent and is an opaque shade.
- While the seafood is cooking, cook your spaghetti in a large pot. But, don't cook your pasta all the way. You want the spaghetti cooked "al dente".
- Once the spaghetti is ready, take a pasta spoon and scoop up the pasta and place it in the skillet with the seafood. Add more olive oil or a scoop of pasta water if it looks to dry. Fold the sauce in to the spaghetti to combine all the ingredients together for about 2-3 minutes.
- Sprinkle basil all over (optional). Serve immediately. Optional: top with parmesan cheese.
Notes
Preparation Tips
Remove pasta when it is "al dente". Al dente means when the pasta is almost cooked but is slightly hard. Al dente translated is "has a bite". Do not throw out all of your pasta water. It is recommended that you reserve some pasta water to add to the skillet when mixing the pasta with the seafood, if necessary. If the pasta and seafood mixture is to dry, add some pasta water or some olive oil to the skillet.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Tisha says
I made this for Christmas eve and we loved it. So simple and easy to make. It was ready in no time and I didn't feel stressed at all following your recipe.