Seafood Pasta Bake (Print version)

A comforting blend of seafood, pasta, and creamy tomato sauce baked under cheesy topping.

# 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 Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a large baking dish.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water, cooking 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper to skillet. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 2 more minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Gently fold in mixed seafood and cook until just opaque, about 2–3 minutes, avoiding overcooking.
07 - Mix cooked pasta with sauce and seafood. Transfer evenly to the prepared baking dish.
08 - Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
09 - Bake for 18–20 minutes until the dish is bubbling and the cheese is golden.
10 - Allow to rest for 5 minutes before garnishing with chopped parsley and serving.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that looks far more impressive than the effort it actually requires, perfect for when you want to feel like you've done something special.
  • The seafood cooks gently in the sauce rather than being overdone, keeping everything tender and sweet.
  • You can have it on the table in under an hour, making it ideal for weeknight dinners that don't feel rushed.
02 -
  • Don't overcook the seafood thinking it needs more time—it will toughen quickly once it hits that opaque stage, and all the tender sweetness vanishes.
  • Undercooking your pasta initially is essential because it finishes cooking in the oven, and fully cooked pasta baked becomes mushy and disappointing.
  • Pat your thawed seafood very dry before adding it, as excess moisture will steam and create a watery sauce instead of a creamy coating.
03 -
  • Use a baking dish that's wide enough for the pasta to spread in a single layer—crowding everything creates uneven cooking and hot spots that scorch the cheese.
  • Grating your own cheese rather than using pre-shredded makes a dramatic difference in how smoothly it melts and browns, worth the two minutes it takes.
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