Seafood Pasta can be any variation of what you like, what you have on hand or what you find in your local super market. I have been eyeballing all the different recipes out in the world and have finally decided to give it a try on my own. While this is my husband’s go to in choice of a Seafood Pasta on an occasional date night, I decided to surprise him on my take on his favorite Seafood dish. Happy husband.. happy home!
While I love some variations of Seafood Pastas which usually consists of Shrimp, Lobster and canned Clams, I never ventured into the world of using fresh Mussels and Clams. I was quite amazed on the flavor profile since I was concerned on how overpowering the fishiness would be since I haven’t graduated to loving strong fish tasting meals as of yet.
Mussels have a mild ocean flavor and can be a bit off throwing if they are prepared when they are not fresh. This is important.. fresh Mussels, fresh flavor. Fresh Clams are mild in taste but still have a light fishy profile. Depending on how they are prepared will determine how defined their taste will be. When creating this recipe, I found the combination of the Mussels, Clams and Shrimp to be perfect. The fusion of flavors paired with Pasta in a flavorful sauce was all it needed to bring it all together. Need I remind you. Happy husband…happy home! Come try my take on a great seafood pasta and let me know what you think?
Seafood Pasta
Equipment
- Deep Pan with Lid
- 2 Deep Pots
- Mixing Bowls
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
Ingredients
Seafood
- 1/2 lb Fresh Clams Scrubbed and debris cleaned off of Shells
- 1/2 lb Fresh Mussels Scrubbed, debearded and debris cleaned off of Shells
- 1/2 lb Fresh Raw Shrimp Cleaned, deveined and Shells removed
Produce
- 1 Medium White Onion Sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley Chopped
- 4 Fresh Cloves of Garlic Minced
- 1 Small Jalapeño Diced Finely (Optional)
Canned Goods
- 28 oz Can of San Marzano Whole Tomatoes or Whole Tomatoes of your choice Pureed using Blender or a hand blender
Dairy
- 3 tbsp Butter
Seasonings/Spice
- 1 tbsp Garlic Herb Seasoning No Salt
- 1 tsp Dried Basil Fresh if preferred
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Sugar (Optional) Creates a less Acidic Sauce
Pasta
- 12 oz Linguine Fresh or boxed
Oil
- Olive Oil
Instructions
Preparation
- Soak Fresh Clams in Bowl for 1 hour prior to using in 4 cups of cold water and 2 tablespoons of Salt. This will allow them to purge any debris from inside of their Shells. Be sure to discard any Clams with deep cracked and broken Shells. Minor breakage on the edge is not an issue, proceed to use these.
- Soak your Mussels in Bowl of water for 1 hour prior to cooking. Be sure to discard any Mussels that have already opened and died or Shell is cracked and broken. If you gently tap it on counter and they close, it is still alive. If they do not close, they are already dead and not good to use.
Cooking Directions
- Heat your Pot on medium, adding a drizzle of Olive Oil and 1 tablespoon of Butter.
- Once Butter is melted and sizzling, begin Sautéing your Chopped Onions and Diced Jalapeño (Optional) for 4-5 minutes or until it softens and Onion turns transparent.
- Add Minced Garlic and continue Sautéing for additional 1-2 minutes.
- Pour your Pureed Tomatoes into Pot adding all the Seasonings/Spice, 1 tablespoon of Butter and stir in incorporate all together. Cover with lid and continue simmering, stirring periodically for 20 minutes or so. It will begin to thicken while cooking. Taste midway to be sure no additional seasonings are needed.
Pasta..meanwhile
- Bring a Pot of water to a rapid boil, adding a generous pinch of Salt and a drizzle of Olive Oil.
- Add Linguine and cook according to directions on package.
- Once cooked, drain Linguine and reserve 2 cups of the Pasta water.
Seafood
- Heat Deep Pan on medium/high adding a drizzle of Olive Oil and 1 tablespoon of Butter.
- Add Shrimp and begin sautéing them for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are pink and opaque. Do not overcook as this will make them chewy. Remove and set aside.
- Add Clams and Mussels into Pan with 1 cup of reserved Pasta water, cover with lid and let it steam for 4-6 minutes or until Clams and Mussels open up. At this point, discard any that have not opened.
- Add the Shrimp, cooked Linguine and Tomato Sauce previously prepared into the Pan with Clam and Mussels. Toss to coat everything in Sauce. If Sauce seems too thick, you may slowly add remaining reserved Pasta water to thin it out some. This is your preference on how you will like it.
- Garnish with Chopped Parsley over top, then serve with warm Crusty Bread to soak up the goodness in the bowl.
