Like a lot of families, we are constantly on the lookout for fresh, new mid week meals. We are all fans of flavour in this house though. Bland dishes just will not do. This spicy seafood pasta or spicy shrimp pasta dish is perfect for when we are home late from the school run or are rushing out to the next activity. On the table in around 30 minutes so the perfect 30 minute weeknight dinner.
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We eat a lot of seafood in this house. When the girls were younger they were wary of most fish recipes but loved seafood recipes like Mauritian Prawn Curry and Spicy Prawn Parcels. The versatility, speed of cooking and ease of seafood more than makes up for the cost on occasions.
When is this spicy seafood pasta suitable for?
There are any number of meal occasions when this recipe is suitable for. As I have already mentioned it is fantastic as a speedy midweek meal but alternatively try it for date night (perhaps limit the amount of garlic cloves you include) or a real simple dinner party idea with friends. You will not be spending too much time in the kitchen, can easily double the recipe amounts and can pad out the table with garlic bread and a simple side salad.
Which tomatoes to use?
My girls like this spicy tomato sauce as it is not too 'tomato-ey' until the juicy cherry tomatoes are put in. That is why I have included the cherry tomatoes as an optional ingredient. No matter how much I try, my girls will always remain convinced I am trying to kill them if they have to eat 'real' tomatoes.
For the tinned tomatoes, I used chopped or crushed tomatoes (mix tomatoes with italian herbs are also fine).
What type of pasta is best?
Whatever shape of pasta that you prefer (and can get from the supermarket - this dish is all about easy with the slightly luxury of seafood). We always have a stock of fusilli in the cupboard but spaghetti and linguine pastas work equally well, and even cut down on some of the cooking time.
Fresh pasta cooks even quicker obviously if you have it in - Just adjust the pasta to 3-4 minutes of cooking time (any more and your pasta will not be al dente).
What is the best seafood to use with pasta?
Crayfish and prawns are my favourites but crab goes equally well too. If you are feeling extravagant then lobster meat is absolutely divine.
You can use raw prawns but you would have to cook these separately before adding to the dish.
For extra laziness a pack of fresh seafood mix also works brilliantly. I go along with about 250-300g of seafood for 4 people which can combine shrimp (jumbo shrimp /prawns are best but whatever you can get)
What else can I add to this Seafood Pasta dish?
For extra healthy points, frozen peas or sweetcorn are great thrown in too. (I realise that the photo shown does not show my version with cherry tomatoes but I promise you that they are a lovely addition!)
I have included a pinch of red pepper flakes but realise not everyone might have them in their store cupboard - A finely chopped fresh red pepper would also work exceedingly well.
I have tried to make this dish as easy as possible so have used store cupboard ingredients when I can. If you happen to have a fresh chilli insted of dried chillip powder, then feel free to use that instead (or maybe aswell if you like the touch of heat).
I always finish with a sprinkling of black pepper. Cheese lovers might also add some grated parmesan - completely up to you.
A great way of getting a little depth to your sauce is to add a good splash of balsamic vinegar or even some extra cloves of garlic (garlic powder is also great if you don't have fresh).
What wine goes well with this Seafood Pasta?
A nice dry, crisp white wine pairs very well with pasta and seafood - We like a Pinot Grigio (We have recently been drinking Barefoot Pinot Grigio from Costco) yes even on a weeknight!
Tips for cooking Spicy Seafood Pasta
Have the pan on no more than a medium-high heat - You do not want to burn that tomato sauce.
If you like to make sure you have enough sauce (so you can dip in some crusty bread), then take a little bit of the pasta water and mix with the spicy red sauce. You can even add 100ml of vegetable stock for extra juice ... and why not try some chopped fresh basil in there too?
Spicy Seafood Pasta
Ingredients
- 350 g Dried Fusilli Pasta
- 120 g Ready to eat crayfish
- 150 g Ready to eat prawns
- 1 tin Tomatoes
- 1 small onion Finely chopped
- ½ tsp Chilli Powder
- 100 g Cherry Tomatoes Cut into quarters
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- 1 garlic clove Finely chopped or grated
- Pinch Red Pepper Flakes Optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until it is al dente Add the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chopped onions, frying for 2 minutes until just softened.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes, chilli, chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 3-4 minutes
- Add the crayfish, prawns, cherry tomatoes & parsley and stir through until combined
- Add the cooked, drained pasta and stir through until well covered
- Serve immediately
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did they work?
Seafood and pasta are PERFECT for super fast dishes. This looks delicious and is ideal for midweek meals! Will have to pop it on next weeks meal plan.
Looks like the perfect mid-week dinner for me. Now only to get my kids to eat shellfish. Perhaps if I cut it up into smaller pieces I can fool them!
One of my favourite ways to enjoy pasta is with seafood. It reminds me of holidays and the sea. What a perfect healthy dish, packed full of delicious flavours I love!
Now this sounds like it would be right up my street, I am a huge fan of pasta and prawns so I definitely need to try out!
This sounds so delicious I am a big fan of pasta and seafood, so will have to make this one day
I agree about adding peas and sweetcorn, they're such sweet vegetables that they always add that extra yumminess to pasta don't they? 🙂
I love the combination. Seafood and pasta do work well together don't they and with the tomatoes too, heaven!
Seafood is one of the only things that I cant eat. I like fish but seafood is another matter! This sounds great though and it's great it's a low fat dish!
I don't eat Seafood, I do sometimes wish I could genuinely stomach it due to it being good for you. The recipe does however, sound delicious and I could totally substitute it with Quorn pieces.
Lima
X
Not a big seafood fan outside a tuna sandwich from Subway but I like the idea of a quick meal that is hot and tasty (and not avocado based)
We love seafood and pasta, so I am sure this delicious dish would be a success with the whole family!
A great, quick dish for dinner after a busy day at work. I'll try this later in the week.
After spending a few days on an Italian island all I ate was the freshest seafood so it's really made me want to make more of it at home. I'll definitely try this one out x
I love spice so this pasta dish sounds healthy, easy to make and I can imagine delicious. I always love quick dishes x
You had me at low fat and speedy, so important as life can be super busy at times 🙂 x
This is seafood pasta is a bomb! I love that it is so easy to prepare. Perfect for my busy schedule. Also being low fat is a plus. Somehow a healthy must-eat.
This seafood pasta sounds brilliant for a meal particularly after a run which I do twice a week. Super quick and brilliantly healthy
This looks and sounds so delicious. I am a huge fan of seafood so I'll definitely be bookmarking this page.
This looks delicious, nothing like seafood and fresh herbs in pasta!
That sounds so delicious, yet so quick and easy. Perfect for those evening when time is of the essence! I will be trying this soon x
Im always on the lookout for quick and easy meals. This looks delicious
I love spicy food and this sauce looks delicious, so lovely and creamy. Yum!
What a delicious recipe. My family aren't big fans of spice so would probably replace the chilli powder for more garlic xx
I have a seafood allergy but I love my spice so I'd love to recreate this and include some veggies instead.
I love pasta but am trying to lose a bit of weird so a lot fat option is just what I need!
This sounds super tasty! H 🙂
I'm such a big seafood fan but I've never actually tried Crayfish, this looks like a delicious dish, will have to give it a try
Sea food pasta is a good decision especially for those evenings when you don't want to cook for ages.
That looks absolutely divine! I could literally eat pasta every day and never get bored! I don't think I have ever had crayfish, wouldn't mind trying it with pasta! Sim x touringduo.com