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Seafood Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops (and Garlic!)

Seafood pasta with shrimp and scallops and lots of garlic is seriously one of the fastest and most delicious meals you can make with pasta! 

seafood pasta with shrimp and scallops in cast iron pan

If you love shrimp, scallops, butter and garlic, this seafood pasta recipe is for you!

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It’s a beautiful weeknight meal that can be made in under half an hour, but the cooking time is just half of that.

shrimp and scallops in pasta

One of my most popular seafood recipes is my simple garlic and butter shrimp with spaghetti. so I thought you would also enjoy this seafood pasta recipe which includes scallops.

Love seafood? I have yet another recipe: shrimp fettuccine in a light cream sauce with tomato!

Shrimp fettuccine with cream and tomatoes

Tips on Making this Seafood Pasta Recipe

Seafood should not be overcooked, so I include step by step instructions on timing so that your dish will turn out perfectly! Edited 1/22: just read the hundreds of rave reviews and comments readers have already left below! I’m so happy you all love my recipe! I’ve recently added this lobster pasta recipe, too.

bowl of shrimp scampi
Garlic butter shrimp and spaghetti.

The busiati pasta (the one I linked to is similar) is not a very popular shape here in the US, but it is traditionally served with seafood in Italy. If you can’t find this shape of pasta, no problem, just use another, like linguine, spaghetti or a shorter pasta.

busiati pasta in a hand

In order to make sure this dish is as flavorful as possible, be sure to use really good quality seafood and pasta. The quality of the ingredients is key, even down to the garlic and parsley. It truly makes a difference!

shrimp in pasta

Yes, all the ingredients are important all the time, but don’t even mess around with poor quality seafood; that’s the worst. You can trust the quality of Get Maine Lobster seafood! It’s a company that has the same values as I have, so you will be delighted with the freshness and flavor of their seafood. Check out this Fresh Catch page which includes juicy scallops and wild caught haddock! USE CUCINA10 for 10% off your purchase!

overhead seafood pasta in pan

If you love seafood, you’re going to love my cioppino recipe!

staub pot with cioppino

Or linguine with clams!

pan of linguine and clams

Or what about this ‘perfect for a weeknight’ oven baked fish (Italian-style)?

Oven baked fish on a plate with a fork pulling the flakes

How do you Cook Frozen Seafood?

It’s easy, just thaw and cook as you would if it was fresh. I like to defrost mine in a colander. Seafood thaws quite quickly.

shrimp and scallops in colander

Don’t be scared to cook seafood, it’s really not difficult. I think the hardest thing is not overcooking it.

shrimp and scallops in a buttery sauce

Love tomato sauce with your seafood? Try my pasta with seafood sauce recipe (from Italy)

Calamari in seafood sauce

Can I Serve this without Pasta?

Yes, make some rice, quinoa, or zucchini noodles or even gluten free pasta for those who want to avoid gluten.

seafood pasta with shrimp and scallops in cast iron pan

Fresh seafood is a necessity. You can be sure of the quality with Get Maine Lobster (they don’t only sell lobster!!) Check out this Fresh Catch page which includes deliciously juicy scallops!                        

scallop in pasta

Seafood Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops (and Garlic!)

Recipe by Christina Conte         serves 4

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

  • scallops, fresh or thawed
  • Kosher salt
  • pasta 
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • raw shrimp, fresh or frozen
  • garlic
  • flat leaf parsley
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • butter
  • dry white wine (you can substitute seafood stock or broth if you’d like)
  • (lemon slices/wedges to serve)

Prepare the Scallops

Soak the scallops for 10 minutes in a brine solution (3 tablespoonfuls of Kosher or sea salt in 16 oz water).

brining scallops

Remove after 10 minutes and place on a rack to dry. 

Cook the Pasta

Next, put a large pot of well salted water on to boil for the pasta. Once the pasta goes in, set a timer for 7 minutes before the pasta will be ready (according to package instructions.) 

adding pasta to water

Make the Seafood Sauce

Make sure the scallops are dry. If they are not, pat them dry with a paper towel. When the timer goes off, put a large cast iron pan on high heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. 

cooking scallops in pan

When the pan and oil are very hot, add the scallops and sear them for about 1 1/2 minutes before adding the shrimp, garlic, and parsley.

cooking shrimp and scallops in cast iron pan

Cook for another 2 minutes, then turn the scallops and shrimp and cook for a further 1 1/2 minutes.

Next, add the wine, which will cook down quickly, scraping the bottom of the pan. At this point, turn the heat down just to keep the pan warm.

adding wine to seafood pasta

Add the butter and stir to melt it.

adding butter to seafood sauce

This seafood pasta sauce is probably the quickest sauce you can make!

scallop in buttery sauce

You can add some freshly ground black pepper, if desired, then taste the sauce or a piece of seafood and add salt if needed.

shrimp and scallops in a buttery sauce

Add the Pasta to the Seafood Sauce

Drain the pasta, which should be ready, but reserve a cup or so of pasta water. You will only need this pasta water if you want to add some after mixing everything together. Add the pasta directly to the seafood sauce in the pan.

adding pasta to seafood in pan

Stir gently to incorporate all the ingredients together.  Add some of the reserved pasta water, if desired, then top with a twist of lemon in the pan.

seafood pasta with shrimp and scallops in cast iron pan

Serve the Seafood Pasta!

Serve immediately as this seafood pasta dish is best piping hot.

shrimp and scallops in pasta

This is not a fancy dish, so bring the pan to the table and serve it from there. Don’t forget some crusty bread to mop up the buttery, garlic and wine sauce at the end!

seafood pasta with shrimp and scallops in cast iron pan

I was shooting in a hurry as I had a hungry crew behind me waiting to eat this! Haha!

Another seafood pasta recipe for you: mussel pasta (Italian style with tomatoes and olives)!

Mussel pasta in a bowl

 

seafood pasta in a cast iron pan

Seafood Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops (and Garlic!)

Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
A buttery garlic wine sauce pairs with shrimp and scallops in this easy dish. Add some pasta and dinner is served!
4.8 from 522 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb scallops (fresh or thawed)
  • 1 Tbsp Kosher salt (need more for brine solution)
  • 12 oz pasta (good quality, I use a short shape, like busiati)
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 shrimp (large, raw, fresh or frozen (thawed) peeled, and deveined)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley (chopped)
  • ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
  • 3 oz butter (good quality, salted)
  • cup dry white wine (see notes)
  • 4 wedges lemon (to serve)

Instructions

  • Soak the scallops for 10 minutes in a brine solution (3 Tbsp Kosher salt in 16 oz water.)
  • Remove after 10 minutes and place on a rack to dry. 
  • Next, put a large pot of well salted water on to boil for the pasta. Once the pasta goes in, set a timer for 7 minutes before the pasta will be ready (according to package instructions.) 
  • Make sure the scallops are dry. If they are not, pat them dry with a paper towel. When the timer goes off, put a large cast iron pan on high heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. 
  • When the pan and oil are very hot, add the scallops and sear them for about 1 ½ minutes before adding the shrimp, garlic, and parsley.
  • Cook for another 2 minutes, then turn the scallops and shrimp and cook for a further 1 ½ minutes. Next, add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan; turn the heat down just to keep it warm.
  • Add the butter and stir to melt. Add some freshly ground black pepper, if desired, then taste the sauce or a piece of seafood and add salt if needed.
  • Drain the pasta, which should be ready, but reserve a cup or so of pasta water. You will only need this pasta water if you want to add some after mixing everything together. Add the pasta directly to the seafood sauce in the pan.
  • Stir gently to incorporate all the ingredients together. Add some of the reserved pasta water.
  • Serve immediately as this seafood pasta dish is best piping hot. Don't forget some crusty bread to mop up the buttery garlic and wine sauce at the end!

Notes

  • Avoid overcooking the seafood or it will become tough and rubbery.
  • If you don’t want to use wine, use water instead.
  • If serving from the pan to guests, top the dish with a twist of lemon as in my photos.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 685kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1206mg | Potassium: 538mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

Potato and salmon fish cakes are loved by even those who dislike salmon (like me)!

fish cakes made with fresh salmon

Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

4.82 from 522 votes (522 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




69 Comments

    1. Hi Bruce, although this is not an authentic Italian dish, I would not recommend having any side or accompaniment other than bread. When you have a showstopper of a dish like this one, serving it with a side takes away from it. I will add, however, that you could definitely serve an appetizer and/or a light soup beforehand, and then serve a salad after the pasta dish. Italians never serve a side with pasta dishes.

  1. If you don’t care about your cast iron seasoning, sure, go ahead and deglaze with wine, which is acidic. This dish should be possible in a heavy bottomed stainless steel, which won’t be potentially ruined by the deglazing step.

  2. Hi!
    Please forgive the newbie question. I want to make this for my family, but with young kids, I am hesitant to use wine. I know they say the alcohol boils off, but am still hesitant to use it. Are there any acceptable substitutions? Thanks in advance.

    1. Hi Mike, just to put it in perspective, this dish would be served to your family at a restaurant, no mention would be made about its preparation. The amount of wine (even if the alcohol didn’t burn off) is negligible. That said, if you absolutely don’t want to use it, I’d say use a seafood stock. Enjoy!

    2. Try white wine vinegar, that’s what I would use! I probably wouldn’t use 1/3 cup of it though, probably a lot less (there’s some sort of ratio for substituting it but I can’t remember). It’s good to have on hand for situations where you don’t want to use wine/don’t have any of it. It still technically has alcohol in it, but it’s such a small amount you don’t need an ID to buy it at the store or anything. Happy cooking :)

    3. in recipe it does state, to sub for a stock/broth of your choice, excellent recipe, I did make mine with sobi noodles and also did a one pot method both were awesome , thank you for the hearty recipes.