24 Seafood Pasta Recipes to Serve for Casual Dinners

Get out of a cooking rut with these easy seafood pasta recipes.

shrimp scampi green bowl
Credit:

Lennart Weibull

From classics like salmon and shrimp to briny canned staples like sardines and anchovies, seafood offers so much versatility for dinnertime. You can prepare it in all the best ways—grilled, broiled, or sautéed—and then when it's added to pasta, it becomes something extra special. Our seafood pasta recipes, such as the Classic Shrimp Scampi that's pictured here, are a fabulous mix of everyday essential dishes and some extra-special recipes for entertaining. No matter the occasion, these seafood pasta recipes will be the star of dinnertime.

01 of 24

Spaghetti With Shrimp, Kale, and Burst Tomatoes

Spaghetti with Shrimp, Kale, and Burst Tomatoes
Credit: Chris Simpson

Take a break from the usual spaghetti with this shrimp-studded iteration. Traditional red sauce is replaced with bursting grape tomatoes, resulting in a fresh and effortless dish.

02 of 24

Thai-Curry Shrimp Linguine

Thai Curry Shrimp Linguine
Credit: Kate Sears

Pantry staples come to the rescue for this seafood pasta dish. The sauce is delightfully simple, silky, and the star of the show; just heat curry paste and cilantro in a skillet, then blend with canned light coconut milk.

03 of 24

Cream-Free Shrimp Alfredo

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo recipe
Credit: Chris Simpson

In this take on the classic Fettuccine alfredo, we create a creamy sauce without the usual heavy cream using a clever combination of an egg yolk, unsalted butter, Parmesan cheese, and pasta water. It's revolutionary!

04 of 24

Sea Scallops Over Shallot-Herb Pasta

sea scallops over herb shallot pasta on a wooden tabletop
Credit: Elizabeth Cecil

If you've never paired seared scallops with pasta before, now's your chance. Fragrant fennel, savory shallots, and plenty of fresh herbs build flavor in this family-friendly pasta dish.

05 of 24

Pasta Peperonata With Tuna and Olives

spaghetti peperonata with tuna and olives
Credit: Lennart Weibull

Nearly every color of the rainbow peeks out between strands of spaghetti in this briny meal. Use good quality olives and tuna, which will add rich flavor in every twirl of pasta.

06 of 24

Pasta With Favas, Shrimp, and Fresh Chile

Pasta with Favas, Shrimp, and Fresh Chile
Credit: Con Poulos

Fava beans do require some TLC to prepare for eating, but they are well worth the effort—a buttery soft texture and delicate flavor that's somewhere between asparagus and peas. This dish features shrimp and pancetta.

07 of 24

Pasta With Preserved Lemon and Anchovies

Anchovy and Preserved-Lemon Pasta
Credit: Marcus Nilsson

No need to go to the grocery store for this 15-minute recipe. Everything you need is right in your own pantry—spaghetti, olive oil, garlic, oil-packed anchovies, and preserved lemon. Get ready for big-time flavor in a flash.

08 of 24

Martha's Spaghetti alle Vongole

spaghetti vongole
Credit: Lennart Weibull

Imagine that you're dining seaside in Italy, looking at the cerulean blue sea and multicolored stucco houses. You're sipping on a fruity glass of Pinot Grigio and sharing a plate of garlicky seafood pasta. Martha's recipe for spaghetti with clams will transport you there.

09 of 24

Seafood Linguine

frutti di mare linguine
Credit: Ngoc Minh Ngo

A dish dressed to impress, this luscious pasta is our take on the Italian pasta linguine ai frutti di mare. It features a variety of shellfish—small clams, mussels, sea scallops, shrimp, and squid, plus plenty of aromatics such as garlic, red pepper flakes, and parsley.

10 of 24

Spaghetti and Shrimp Meatballs

shrimp meatballs

This recipe is a sweet upgrade to an Italian classic. You can make "meatballs" without meat. Simply pulse raw shrimp in a food processor with panko breadcrumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, basil, and scallions. Then form the mixture into balls and poach in boiling salted water until cooked through.

11 of 24

One-Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta

one-pan creamy tuna pasta
Credit: Armando Rafael

Try this contemporary take on a classic—tuna noodle casserole. It's a 25-minute wonder recipe that calls for cooking butter, short spiral pasta such as cavatappi, broth, shallots, and water together. It's finished by tossing with blanched asparagus, arugula, Parmesan, lemon, and canned tuna.

12 of 24

Farfalle With Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese

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This luscious dish gets its creaminess from cream cheese, rather than the more conventional cream-and-butter-based Alfredo sauce. Think of it as a lox bagel in pasta form, complete with capers, dill, and red onion. Super quick and easy, it's sure to become a go-to weeknight favorite.

13 of 24

No-Cook Tomato-Tuna Sauce With Spaghetti

spaghetti and no-cook tomato-tuna sauce topped with basil leaves
Credit: Con Poulos

Perfect for those hot summer days when you can't bear turning on the stove, this recipe transforms chopped tomatoes into a chunky sauce by letting them marinate with vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and basil, then fleshes it out with oil-packed tuna and Parmesan.

14 of 24

Penne With Garlicky Tomatoes and Salmon

Penne with Garlicky Tomatoes and Salmon
Credit: Ryan Liebe

In this recipe, a garlicky tomato sauce is used to steam the salmon fillets before coating the hot cooked pasta. It's a straightforward recipe that's both easy and delicious.

15 of 24

Salmon Noodle Casserole

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Credit: Bryan Gardner

This is a kid-friendly dinner that represents comfort food at its finest. Instead of the traditional tuna, we've swapped in salmon, which is rich in fatty acids and omega-3s. Combine cooked pasta with a creamy sauce, lemon zest, dill, and chopped scallions, then bake until bubbling and golden.

16 of 24

Spaghetti With Shrimp and Olives

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There's a secret ingredient in this punchy Italian-American pasta. Sure, there are shrimp and mixed olives along with juicy cherry tomatoes, but it's a little bacon that brings it all together. You'll also want plenty of Pecorino Romano cheese for serving.

17 of 24

Pasta With Grilled Sardines and Bitter Greens

cooking-school-sardines-with-pasta-and-bitter-greens-037-d111289-0914.jpg
Credit: Bryan Gardner

Want to serve something different when you're having friends for dinner? Make this stunning pasta, which features bucatini, a hollow version of spaghetti that feels like an upgrade from everyday noodles. Sardines and dandelion greens make it feel totally out of the ordinary.

18 of 24

Spaghetti With Tuna and Caper Sauce

spaghetti-with-tuna-036-md110958.jpg
Credit: Alpha Smoot

Briny and bright, canned tuna and capers are probably not ingredients that your family gravitates to every night, but this recipe could change that. It's an easy way to introduce your family to a delicious and innovative use of canned tuna.

19 of 24

Penne With Shrimp, Feta, and Spring Vegetables

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Fresh spring asparagus and snow peas shine in this simple yet delicious pasta dish. Shrimp and feta add saltiness and great texture, and the mint adds an unusual fresh taste.

20 of 24

Spicy Clams With Spaghetti

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Credit: Linda Pugliese

Make this romantic pasta dinner for two for dinner tonight. Clams are naturally salty, so taste the finished dish before seasoning with any additional salt.

21 of 24

Pasta With Scallops, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, and Parsley

Pasta with Scallops, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, and Parsley
Credit: Earl Carter

When you buy something as special as scallops, you really want them to shine in a recipe and not be overwhelmed by other ingredients. Here, grape tomatoes, garlic, and parsley provide a perfect backdrop to the scallops.

22 of 24

Emeril's Seafood Mac and Cheese

Emeril’s Seafood Mac and Cheese
Credit: Kana Okada

No ordinary macaroni and cheese, this version is elevated by the addition of cooked seafood, whether it's lobster, shrimp, crabmeat, or other. It's a rich and creamy one-dish meal, and all you need is a salad to round it out.

23 of 24

Linguine With Shrimp and White Wine

Linguine with Shrimp and White Wine

Lemony white-wine sauce is the perfect complement to sautéed shrimp. This light dinner for one is ready in just 20 minutes.

24 of 24

One-Pot Seafood Orzo Risotto

seafood risotto
Credit: Marcus Nilsson

A different kind of risotto, this one's made with orzo, a type of tiny pasta. It's similar to a paella, cooks on the stovetop until seafood is added, then gets broiled to a perfect finish. You'll have it on the table in under an hour—and it's a real show-stopper.

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