These seafood pasta dishes taste as good as they sound. Buon Appetito!
Seafood, garlic, and pasta — ingredients that love each other, blend to make a meal indulgent enough for a date night at home or to serve a special guest. These pasta dishes will warm the kitchen and the bellies of your loved ones during the cold winter months.
Clam Sauce with Linguine
Contributed by Carol Nowicki – “This is an elegant, fragrant meal worthy of family and special guests. Serve with a simple tomato salad and thick slices of crusty bread.”
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ c extra-virgin olive oil
½ to ¾ tsp dried basil or thyme
28 oz canned minced clams
½ c dried parsley flakes
1 lb linguine (or other thin pasta)
grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté just until tender but not browned. Add basil (or thyme) and clams with their juices. Stir gently until blended and simmer for approximately four minutes. Add the parsley flakes and stir; turn heat to medium-low. Cook pasta until just tender; drain, and return pasta to its cooking pot. Spoon clam sauce over each individual plates of pasta. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Kitchen Tip
Canned shrimp or fresh clams or mussels can be substituted for the canned clams.
Pantry List
basil or thyme, garlic, linguine, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, parsley flakes
Shopping List
canned minced clams
Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Contributed by Mandy Gandin – “This is seriously so delicious and one of our family’s favorite meals!”
Makes 2-3 servings
Ingredients
1 lemon
5 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp butter
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp
2 large tomatoes
8 oz Capellini or angel-hair pasta
½ c chopped curly parsley
Directions
Zest the lemon into a bowl, then squeeze the juice of the lemon into the bowl. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and olive oil, mixing and tasting for seasoning. Add raw shrimp to marinate. Cover and place in the fridge for one hour.
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return pasta to hot pot and set aside. Dice tomatoes. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Remove shrimp from the marinade with a slotted spoon, saving the marinade liquid. Add shrimp to the skillet. Cook on each side for about two minutes, being careful not to overcook the shrimp. Remove shrimp and set aside. Add the remaining marinade and tomatoes to the pan. After about five minutes, add most of the parsley (reserve 1-2 tsp for garnish). Cook on medium high, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes wilt and the skins start to peel off. With the heat off, mix pasta, sauce, and shrimp in the pan thoroughly. Garnish with remaining parsley.
Kitchen Tip
Angel-hair pasta cooks very quickly, in about four minutes. Be careful not to overcook or it will become gummy. Spaghetti or Fettuccine can be substituted, but the light angel-hair goes well with the shrimp and light butter sauce.
Pantry List
butter, garlic, lemon, olive oil, pepper, red pepper flakes, salt
Shopping List
angel-hair pasta, parsley, shrimp, tomatoes
Shrimp Rotini
Contributed by JessieLeigh Smith – “This is a husband-pleasing meal. Sometimes I substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta.”
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
1 lb rotini pasta
¼ c olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 ½ lb frozen bite-size shrimp
4 oz imitation crabmeat, chopped
1 c chicken or vegetable broth or stock
1 jar (meatless) marinara sauce, divided
1 c ricotta cheese
1 c frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
black pepper to taste
Directions
Prepare rotini according to package instructions and return to cooking pot. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and add garlic. Cook for about two minutes, until fragrant. Add crab and shrimp and reduce heat to low. Stir frequently. Heat spinach in a separate bowl (about one minute on high in a microwave or a few minutes in a saucepan over medium heat). Add ricotta to spinach and stir until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.
Add broth and ¼ cup marinara to seafood mixture. Sprinkle generously with black pepper and heat through. Add remaining marinara to drained rotini. Stir. Serve as follows: spread a layer of rotini on each plate. Ladle seafood mixture over top. Finally, top with a generous dollop of the spinach-ricotta blend.
Kitchen Tip
Using inexpensive salad shrimp makes this a special meal that doesn’t cost a lot. Pick a marinara that you like, or use three cups of homemade tomato sauce.
Pantry List
chicken or vegetable stock, garlic, olive oil, marinara sauce, pepper
Shopping List
frozen spinach, imitation crabmeat, ricotta cheese, rotini, shrimp
This article originally appeared in HomeLife Magazine. HomeLife is looking for family-friendly, budget-conscious, original recipes from readers like you. Simply email us your recipe, name and contact info to homelife@lifeway.com. We will pay $25 for each recipe that is printed. We regret that mailed submissions cannot be accepted. Recipes become the property of HomeLife and may be edited prior to publication. Share your recipe with HomeLife!