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Home Collections Quick Dinner Recipes

Seafood Spaghetti Marinara

By:Nagi
Published:1 Jun '16Updated:18 Apr '19
230 Comments
Recipe v Dozer v

A classic, easy seafood pasta made using a seafood marinara mix: prawns / shrimp, calamari, fish and mussels tossed through a simple, tasty tomato sauce. Made properly, the real proper Italian way, this Seafood Spaghetti Marinara is dinner on the table in 20 minutes!

Made this yesterday, I got a HUGE thumbs up from everyone!!! Part of my regular rotation for quick dinners!

Seafood Spaghetti Marinara

This recipe is dedicated to Bill and Pauline, the owners of a gorgeous young Golden Retriever called Lucy that Dozer plays with regularly at the beach.

When I say “dedicated”, I don’t mean any kind of heartfelt, deep and meaningful dedication. There is no sentiment behind this dedication.

It is just that I’ve now dictated this recipe to them three times while Dozer and Lucy were playing on the beach, and rather than continuing that weekly routine, I thought I’d just write the recipe out properly for them!!!

Made this yesterday, I got a HUGE thumbs up from everyone!!! Part of my regular rotation for quick dinners!

Made this yesterday, I got a HUGE thumbs up from everyone!!! Part of my regular rotation for quick dinners!

While a seafood pasta may sound fancy, in actual fact, this is super fast and easy to make. It really is dinner on the table in 20 minutes, if you can manage boiling the pasta while you make the (very easy) sauce.

I don’t want to show off, but it takes me 15 minutes. Should I do a video to prove it?? 😉

Mind you, I start with a pre-prepared seafood Marinara mix. Nowadays good seafood stores sell great quality marinara (the fish monger in Pittwater Place, for those in my area!), a good mix of small prawns/shrimp, pieces of fish, slices of calamari and shelled mussels. And it’s super great value too.

The key to the sauce for this pasta is searing the seafood first, then removing it before proceeding to make the pasta sauce. This way, the seafood is not overcooked, and also the sauce benefits from the residual flavour left in the pan after searing the seafood.

Marinara-seafood-and-passata

For the sauce – tomato passata

I like to make this sauce using tomato passata (pictured above) which is simply pureed plain tomatoes. It’s thicker and smooth, unlike canned crushed tomatoes, so it makes a lovely quick sauce. Nowadays, passata is sold in all major supermarkets here in Australia – in the pasta section – and it costs just a little more than canned tomatoes.

Toss the pasta!!

The other important step for this recipe is emulsifying. It sounds fancy, but all it requires is cooking the pasta in the sauce with some pasta cooking water for a minute or two right before serving.

This is a secret step mastered by all the Italian Nonna’s and proper restaurants around the world that makes all the difference. It’s magic because it thickens the sauce so it clings lusciously to every strand of pasta.  Rather than a watery pool of sauce in the bottom of the bowl. 🙂

If you want to get technical, it’s because of the reaction that occurs between the starch in the pasta cooking water and the oil in the sauce. 🙂

Made this yesterday, I got a HUGE thumbs up from everyone!!! Part of my regular rotation for quick dinners!

I made this yesterday (Tuesday) and bumped into Pauline and Bill at the dog park just after I gave the homeless man a big steaming container of this pasta. The homeless man gave this a big thumbs up. Pauline and Bill politely declined my request for a family photo to include in this post. However, I know they’re certainly looking forward to getting their hands on this recipe – written out properly for them!!

– Nagi x

PS To bridge the communication gap: “Marinara” to most of the world other than Australia means a tomato pasta sauce. Not to be confused with “Marinara seafood mix” as sold in Australia, being a premix of different types of seafood in bite size pieces. So to Australians, “Spaghetti Marinara” means a seafood pasta, whereas in other countries, it means spaghetti in a tomato sauce. 

In this particular recipe, it’s pasta with seafood in a tomato sauce….so I sort of captured both meanings!!!

Made this yesterday, I got a HUGE thumbs up from everyone!!! Part of my regular rotation for quick dinners!

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Made this yesterday, I got a HUGE thumbs up from everyone!!! Part of my regular rotation for quick dinners!

Seafood Spaghetti Marinara

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Dinner, Pasta
Italian
5 from 79 votes
Servings2
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A classic seafood pasta made with a pre-made seafood marinara mix. This is really simple to make, and the key to this recipe is the step where the pasta is finished cooking in the sauce. This is called "emulsifying", and it's an essential Italian cooking technique where the starch in the pasta cooking water reacts with the oil in the sauce and makes the sauce thick and luscious so it coats every strand of pasta.

Ingredients

  • 6 oz / 180g dried spaghetti pasta (or other long pasta of choice)
  • 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil , separated
  • 10 oz / 300g seafood Marinara mix , or make your own (Note 1)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/2 onion , finely chopped (~1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 cup white wine (any) (Note 2)
  • 2 cups tomato passata/tomato puree (Note 3) OR 600g/20oz canned crushed tomato + 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to packet directions, but reduce the cooking time by 1 minute (because the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). RESERVE 1 mug of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
  • Separate the seafood mix based on cook time. Longest cook time: fish and medium / large prawns, medium cook time: small prawns, shortest cook time: calamari.
  • Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add fish and large prawns first, cook for 30 seconds. Add small prawns, cook for 30 seconds. Add calamari, cook for 1 minute. Immediately transfer everything to a bowl.
  • Reduce heat to medium high. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil, then add garlic and onion. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent.
  • Add wine and bring to simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet to mix the brown bits into the liquid. Simmer for 1 minute or until alcohol smell has evaporated.
  • Add tomato passata, sugar, salt & pepper. Low heat to medium high, bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add pasta, seafood, around 1/2 cup of reserved pasta cooking water into the sauce. Toss gently and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and coats the pasta.
  • Serve, garnished with fresh parsley. (See Note 4 re: parmesan cheese)

Recipe Notes:

1. Seafood Marinara is just a mix of different seafoods including small shrimp/prawns, mussels, slices of calamari and pieces of fish. In Australia, it can be purchased from seafood stores and supermarkets, already made up. It's very good value, cheaper than buying fillets.
However, you can make up your own if you prefer, using whatever seafood you want.
2. The wine can be substituted with chicken broth/stock or (last resort) water.
3. Tomato passata / puree is like a thick tomato juice, it's smooth and has a thick consistency. It is plain pureed tomatoes. Not to be confused with tomato paste or tomato ketchup, or tomato sauce!
It can be purchased in the pasta aisle of supermarkets in Australia and costs around the same as canned tomatoes. Or you can make your own by pureeing any plain canned tomatoes in a blender. Otherwise, use canned crushed tomatoes.
4. Parmesan cheese is traditionally not used to garnish Italian seafood dishes. However, don't let that stop you!
5. Nutrition per serving. A big GENEROUS bowl! Realistically this serves 2 with a bit of leftovers.
Seafood Marinara Spaghetti Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 508gCalories: 660cal (33%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

Life of Dozer: Being dumped by a wave. Came out of it with his tail still wagging, and went straight back in for more. Currently trying to teach him to body-surf. It is not going well. 🙂

Dozer being dumped by a wave

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230 Comments

  1. Gina says

    December 12, 2022 at 5:10 am

    5 stars
    I used prawn stock made from the heads and shells. It makes a brilliant bisque tasting pasta sauce.

    Reply
  2. Chris says

    September 13, 2022 at 8:34 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe. We made up our own seafood mix which allowed cooking each component separately to get the cook times just right. Got fabulous reviews from the family. Highly recommend this one.

    Reply
  3. Tracey says

    July 17, 2022 at 4:25 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe Nagi, youre the best! My sons fiance follows you now too.(youre teaching her to cook 🙂

    Reply
  4. Ash says

    May 26, 2022 at 9:52 pm

    5 stars
    Worked SO well and was such an easy dish to make. Also the portion sizes are great. Tasted great again the next day too.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 27, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      Thanks Ash! I am happy that you enjoyed the dish! N x

      Reply
  5. STUART WYE says

    May 9, 2022 at 8:52 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent. Came across this looking what to do with 500g of seafood marinara I had acquired. Actually had all the ingredients and adjusted to suit but used chicken stock and drank the wine 😉.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 10, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      You are my kind of cook!! N x

      Reply
  6. Annie says

    April 28, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    5 stars
    I followed this recipe completely except that I doubled the quantity!! Delicious- and still tasted as good the next day. I wish I had tripled the quantity!!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 29, 2022 at 10:25 am

      Woo hoo!!! That’s a winner for you then!! I’m glad you liked it! N x

      Reply
  7. Rebecca Harris says

    April 24, 2022 at 5:02 pm

    Absolutely delicious. Made it for dinner on Easter Saturday. My fish monger made up some marinara mix . Following your steps for cooking the seafood at differing times was spot on . Evetyjing was so tender . Absolute winner and will be making again . Thank you

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 24, 2022 at 5:25 pm

      That’s great Bec!! I’m so happy you liked it! N x

      Reply
  8. neda says

    April 19, 2022 at 4:04 pm

    love all your recipes easy quick and simple ingredients love this recipe thankyou

    Reply
  9. Emma says

    April 15, 2022 at 9:20 pm

    5 stars
    Simple, easy and delicious recipe. Thanks Nagi, you’ve done it again.

    Reply
  10. Zoe & Nick says

    February 27, 2022 at 6:25 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness, pasta and wine night just levelled up! This recipe is quick, easy to follow and uses basic ingredients. Will definitely be making again!!!

    Reply
  11. Lisa Rehman says

    February 3, 2022 at 12:36 pm

    Hi I can’t wait to try this recipe. What can I use in place of the wine?
    Thanks 😊

    Reply
  12. Vinka says

    January 30, 2022 at 10:30 pm

    5 stars
    Love this simple recipe. Perfect Sunday night meal. I fried anchovies with the onion and garlic. Added lemon zest with the parsley. So yum!

    Reply
  13. Louise says

    January 20, 2022 at 6:19 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is perfect. Easy to make and simply delicious.

    Reply
  14. Dajana says

    January 19, 2022 at 12:57 pm

    5 stars
    Plate licking good! Our 6 year old twins love this dish which is the highest compliment indeed.

    I added some anchovy paste for additional umami flavour and a cup of lactose free cream at the end. Unctuous and delicious!

    Thank you Nagi. Excited for your cookbook!

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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