Seafood pasta bake dish (Printable version)

Tender mixed seafood and pasta in a creamy tomato sauce topped with golden cheese.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz penne or rigatoni

→ Seafood

02 - 10.5 oz mixed seafood (shrimp, mussels, squid, scallops), thawed if frozen

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
07 - 2/3 cup heavy cream
08 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
09 - 1 tsp dried oregano
10 - 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Cheese Topping

12 - 3.5 oz mozzarella, grated
13 - 1.5 oz Parmesan, grated
14 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

# Steps to follow:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a large baking dish.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water until 2 minutes shy of package instructions; drain and set aside.
03 - Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook onion until soft, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Incorporate chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Stir in heavy cream and simmer an additional 2 minutes; taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Fold in mixed seafood gently and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just opaque, taking care not to overcook.
07 - Mix cooked pasta with the seafood sauce thoroughly, then transfer to the prepared baking dish.
08 - Distribute mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the combined pasta and seafood mixture.
09 - Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes until the topping bubbles and turns golden brown.
10 - Allow to rest for 5 minutes before garnishing with chopped parsley and serving.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The creamy tomato sauce clings to every piece of pasta while the seafood stays tender and delicate.
  • Everything comes together in one dish, so cleanup feels almost criminal.
  • You can have dinner ready in under an hour, which feels like cheating when guests think you've been cooking all day.
02 -
  • Overcooked seafood is the biggest mistake, so add it at the very end and cook just until opaque; the residual heat will finish the job.
  • Draining the pasta thoroughly prevents a soggy bake, and cooking it slightly under-done is non-negotiable because it'll continue cooking in the oven.
  • Thawed frozen seafood should be patted completely dry, otherwise water leaches into the sauce and dilutes all the flavor you've built.
03 -
  • Undercook your pasta by 2 minutes no matter what the box says, because seafood releases water and the baking time will soften everything further.
  • Pat your seafood completely dry before adding it to the sauce to prevent steam and excess liquid from diluting all your carefully built flavors.
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