Seafood Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops
Upgrade your weeknight pasta game with scallops and shrimp drenched in a white wine-based sauce, served over linguine.
Serves4 to 6
Prep15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook15 minutes to 20 minutes
Linguine with clams, lobster ravioli, frutti di Mar — there are so many types of seafood pasta, it almost feels silly giving this one recipe a name that can encapsulate so many wonderful dishes. But here’s the thing: The thousands of people searching “seafood pasta” every month probably aren’t sure of what exactly they want. If that’s you (it was me a few weeks ago), I offer my take on the term, hoping that this combination of buttery scallops, tender shrimp, garlicky wine sauce, and burst tomatoes speaks to you and your vague, indecisive, totally valid cravings.
What Sauces Go Well with Seafood?
The sky’s the limit. You could go with a red sauce, something pink and creamy, or a decadent Alfredo-like situation. I’m a fan of all three scenarios. Here, cherry tomatoes are sautéed with shallots and garlic, simmered in white wine, then finished with butter and pasta cooking water. Its simplicity and brightness allows the seafood to really shine.
Do You Put Cheese on Seafood Pasta?
There’s a certain stigma associated with cheese and seafood, and it’s about time that ends. Depending on the type of fish and the flavors involved, there’s often a delicious way to pair cheese. My take: If you want to combine cheese and seafood, do it with pride! And if someone has a problem with it, have them try Laura Rege’s cheesy seafood lasagna, then come talk. (It’s SO good.) For this particular recipe, there are so many textures and flavors going on, cheese is not necessary. That said, a sprinkling of Parmesan would probably be delicious.
How to Adapt This Recipe
- Go with your favorite type of pasta. Just know that the textural contrast you get from twirling a piece of shrimp or scallop into a big forkful of long noodles — like linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti — can’t be beat by something shorter, like penne.
- Skip the scallops (they can be expensive!) and go with one full pound of shrimp instead.
- Swap in chopped yellow onion for scallops.
- Substitute vegetable or chicken broth for the wine.
- Add a splash of cream to the sauce.
- Substitute chives for parsley.
Seafood Pasta Recipe
Upgrade your weeknight pasta game with scallops and shrimp drenched in a white wine-based sauce, served over linguine.
Prep time 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 pound
dried linguine pasta
- 1
large shallot
- 4 cloves
garlic
- 2 pints
cherry tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1/2 bunch
fresh parsley
- 8 ounces
large scallops (8 to 9)
- 1 3/4 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
- 1 pinch
red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup
dry white wine
- 8 ounces
large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 1 pound linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Meanwhile, finely chop 1 large shallot (about 1/3 cup) and 4 cloves garlic. Halve 2 pints cherry tomatoes. Finely chop the leaves from 1/2 fresh parsley until you have 1/3 cup.
When the pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain pasta.
Pat 8 ounces scallops dry with paper towels and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a high-sided 12-inch skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the scallops in a single layer and cook until golden-brown on both sides and opaque in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the shallots and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to soften and release juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the wine is reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Nestle 8 ounces peeled, deveined shrimp into the sauce and cook, flipping halfway through, until pink and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes total.
Add the pasta, parsley, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss to coat, adding more pasta water to loosen sauce as needed. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Divide the pasta between bowls and top with the scallops.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Although it’s best to eat this pasta immediately, leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.