Seafood Pasta Bake (Printable Version)

Tender seafood and pasta baked with a creamy tomato sauce and topped with melted 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

# How-to Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water for 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
04 - Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Gently fold in mixed seafood and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just opaque, taking care not to overcook.
07 - Mix cooked pasta thoroughly with the sauce and seafood, then transfer to the greased baking dish.
08 - Evenly sprinkle grated mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta mixture.
09 - Place dish in the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden.
10 - Allow to rest for 5 minutes after baking. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-fancy but comes together in under an hour, so you'll actually make it on a regular weeknight.
  • The seafood stays tender because you add it at just the right moment—no rubbery shrimp or overcooked squid.
  • That golden, bubbling cheese topping is the kind of thing that makes people ask for seconds before they've even finished their first bite.
02 -
  • Undercooked pasta isn't a failure; it's insurance against mushiness once the bake starts, so embrace that slightly firm bite.
  • The seafood cooks in seconds, and nobody wants rubber shrimp—2 minutes is plenty, and you'll see it turn from translucent to opaque in real time.
  • Don't skip the 5-minute rest; it lets the sauce firm up just enough to hold everything together on the plate instead of pooling at the bottom.
03 -
  • Taste the sauce before the seafood goes in—this is your last chance to fix the seasoning without affecting the delicate seafood flavor.
  • Use low-moisture mozzarella, not fresh, so your topping browns instead of sweating and turning pale.
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