Seafood Pasta Bake (Print View)

Baked pasta and mixed seafood in creamy tomato sauce topped with melted cheese.

# Components:

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a large baking dish.
02 - Boil salted water and cook pasta until 2 minutes less than package instructions indicate. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Stir heavy cream into the sauce, simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Gently fold in mixed seafood and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just opaque, avoiding overcooking.
07 - Mix the cooked pasta with the seafood sauce, then transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
08 - Evenly sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta mixture.
09 - Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes until the surface is bubbling and golden.
10 - Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feels fancy enough to serve guests but honest enough for a quiet weeknight when you just want something warm and satisfying.
  • Everything happens in one baking dish, which means less fussing and more time to enjoy a glass of wine while it cooks.
  • The seafood stays tender and sweet while the pasta soaks up every bit of that creamy tomato sauce.
02 -
  • Undercooked pasta is your best friend here—it'll absorb sauce and finish cooking in the oven without turning mushy, so fight the urge to cook it all the way.
  • Don't walk away from the seafood once it's in; even 30 seconds too long and shrimp becomes rubbery, which would be a shame after all this effort.
  • The resting time after baking is real and matters—it lets the sauce set just enough that you get clean, satisfying bites instead of a soupy spoon.
03 -
  • Buy your seafood from a place you trust and use it the same day if possible; fresh seafood makes an obvious difference in the final result.
  • Don't skip the 5-minute rest after baking—it's the difference between a cohesive dish and a sauce that's still finding its way.
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