• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Foodle Club

  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
  • Mobile Menu

    • Facebook
  • ×
    • A dish of chicken aloo matar with Indian green beans in the foreground.
      Chicken Aloo Matar (one pot chicken, potato and pea curry)
    • Pea and broad bean salad in a bue serving dish.
      Green pea and broad bean salad
    • A white serving dish filled with creamy mushroom pasta salad.
      Creamy mushroom pasta salad - with a tangy twist
    • A spoonful of sweet and sour dipping sauce being lifted from a small bowl.
      Quick and easy sweet and sour dipping sauce
    • A crispy prawn spring roll that has been dipped in dipping sauce.
      Crispy prawn spring rolls
    • Slices of chocolate loaf cake with a covering of chocolate.
      Chocolate ice cream loaf cake
    • Sliced pot roast of brisket on a serving platter, garnished with rosemary, with potatoes and carrots on the side.
      Braised brisket pot roast with tasty capsicum gravy
    • A dish of meatballs in curried onion sauce on a table next to a bowl of peas and a dish of rice.
      South African-style curried meatballs - oven-baked in rich gravy
    • A cream scone cut in half, spread with butter and topped with strawberry compote.
      Strawberry cream scones - no butter needed
    • A collage of 9 of the recipies featured in this dinner pie collection.
      23 Dinner pie recipes - easy to make, delicious to eat
    • A slice of baked yoghurt cheesecake on a plate, topped with blueberry compote.
      Easy baked yoghurt cheesecake with blueberry compote
    • A white dinner plate with minced beef hash, baked beans and a side of green salad.
      Easy minced beef hash - old-fashioned comfort food
    Home » Recipes » Italian-inspired recipes

    Easy pasta pescatore (seafood pasta)

    Published: Apr 11, 2020 · Modified: May 30, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    This easy pasta pescatore recipe is a classic seafood pasta dish made with prawns, calamari rings, squid and mussels in a tangy tomato sauce, with my secret ingredient for extra oomph! Ready in less than half an hour. Why not bring a little bit of Italy into your kitchen tonight?

    A forkful of linguine over a bowl of pasta pescatone.
    Jump to:
    • Pasta Pescatore (easy seafood pasta)
    • How to make easy pasta pescatore
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    Pasta Pescatore (easy seafood pasta)

    Sometimes you look at the recipe and wonder how so few ingredients can turn into such a delicious meal. This is one of those times. This quick and easy recipe for pasta pescatore only uses 5 main ingredients, plus garlic, chilli and olive oil for flavouring, but the taste is restaurant quality. Why not try this recipe and bring a taste of Italy to your dining table?

    I use a packet of frozen pre-cooked seafood mix that contains mussels, calamari, prawns and clams. In addition, I add frozen raw prawns (shrimp to my US readers) that I cut in half so that all the pieces of seafood are the same size.

    The entire dish is made from scratch, including the tomato sauce and takes around 20 minutes, start to finish.

    You can use any of the long pasta shapes for this dish. I like to use linguine, but spaghetti or even tagliatelle would work just as well. I love the way the garlicky tomato sauce coats each strand.

    Aside from the pasta, here is the complete list of ingredients.

    • Onions
    • A tin of tomatoes (with herbs if you can get it). Otherwise, add a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
    • Garlic (obviously - this is an Italian dish after all 🙂 )
    • Frozen seafood mix
    • Prawns - buy frozen raw prawns that have been pre-shelled.
    • Chilli - this is my secret ingredient. Just ½ teaspoon of chilli (from a jar) makes this sauce really come alive. If you don't like chilli, or want a milder sauce, feel free to leave it out.
    • Olive oil - for frying the onions

    How to make easy pasta pescatore

    Get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making pasta pescatore on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Prepare the seafood

    A white bowl filled with seafood.
    • Defrost all the frozen seafood. Don't drain any juices from the bag, there's lots of flavour in there and it can be added to the sauce.
    • You can leave the seafood in the fridge to defrost, or if you are in a hurry, pop the bag of frozen seafood in a bowl of warm (not hot) water. It doesn't take very long at all to defrost.
    • Once the prawns have defrosted, cut them in half. If you prefer you can leave them whole.

    Make the sauce

    Collage of 4 images showing how to make the sauce for pasta pescatore.
    • Peel the onions and garlic cloves, then place them in a food processor and whizz them around briefly until they are approximately the size of grains of rice (image 1 above). If you are using fresh chilli, clean the chilli and remove the seeds then add the chilli to the food processor along with the garlic and onions.
    • If you don't have a food processor, you can chop everything by hand, but it will take longer.
    • Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the onions and minced garlic (image 2 above). Allow it to saute over low heat (with the lid on) while you prepare the tomatoes.
    • Open the tin of tomatoes and pour it into the food processor. Add the dried mixed herbs if you are using them, and process until smooth (image 3 above).
    • Now add the tomatoes to the onions in the pan (image 4 above). Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the onions have softened.
    • Add the seafood, along with any juices from defrosting, stir through, and then bring it to a boil. Once it has come to a boil, turn down the heat and continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
    A pan of pasta pescatore sauce mixed with linguine pasta.

    Cook the pasta

    Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet (or follow my instructions below).

    You will need approximately 3oz of dried pasta per person (or 100g). This is approximately equal to 1 cup of cooked pasta. If you have a larger appetite or are cooking this recipe for more than 4 people, adjust the portions accordingly.

    • Bring a large pan of salted water to a strong boil.
    • Stand the pasta in the boiling water until it has softened sufficiently to allow you to press it down until it is all submerged.
    • Allow it to boil for about 7 minutes until it is cooked to your liking. Different brands of pasta cook at different times, so use your own judgement on this.
    • Test by removing one strand of pasta from the water and tasting it. If it is soft enough, then pour the pasta through a colander to drain.
    • Add the drained pasta immediately to the sauce and mix thoroughly.
    • Tip into a serving bowl and serve with garlic bread and a green leafy salad with cherry tomatoes.
    • Alternatively, serve the pasta in individual bowls and ladle the sauce on top.
    A forkful of linguine over a bowl of pasta pescatone.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    Save for later

    Why not pin this recipe for pasta pescatore to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related recipes

    If you enjoyed this recipe you may like to try some of these other Italian-inspired pasta dishes.

    • A plate of spaghetti carbonara sprinkled with black pepper.
      Creamy spaghetti carbonara - quick and easy recipe
    • Close up view of a plate of creamy mussel pasta on a bed of linguine.
      Creamy mussel pasta - a quick and easy supper
    • Ham and mushroom tagliatelle in a dish on a table.
      Ham and Mushroom Tagliatelle with Black Pepper Sauce
    • A bowl of creamy seafood linguine.
      Creamy seafood linguine with lobster

    You can find these and other similar recipes on my Italian-inspired recipes page.

    📋The recipe

    A forkful of linguine over a bowl of pasta pescatone.

    Easy Pasta Pescatore (seafood pasta)

    This easy pasta pescatore recipe is a classic seafood pasta dish made with prawns, calamari rings, squid and mussels in a tangy tomato sauce, with my secret ingredient for extra oomph! Ready in less than half an hour. Why not bring a little bit of Italy into your kitchen tonight.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    Italian
    Calories 467
    Prep 10 minutes minutes
    Cook 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    4.84 from 6 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • Frying Pan
    • Saucepan
    • Colander

    Ingredients

    • 12 ounce / 400 grams spaghetti, linguine or tagliatelle
    • 2 medium onions finely chopped
    • 14 ounce / 400 grams tinned tomatoes (with herbs) or add 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs to plain tinned tomatoes
    • 2 cloved finely minced garlic or 1 teaspoon from a jar
    • ½ teaspoon chilli from a jar or you can chop a small fresh chilli with the onions.
    • 14 ounce / 400 grams frozen seafood mix
    • 7 ounce / 200 grams frozen raw prawns/shirmp (shelled)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying the onions
    • 1 teaspoon salt optional - for cooking the pasta

    Instructions

    • Peel the onions and garlic cloves then place them in a food processor and pulse until they have been chopped to the size of rice grains.
      2 medium onions, 2 cloved finely minced garlic
    • Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sweat the onions gently while you prepare the tomatoes
      2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Place the tomatoes in the food processor. If you are using mixed herbs add these too. Process until smooth.
      14 ounce / 400 grams tinned tomatoes (with herbs)
    • Pour the tomatoes into the onions, add the chilli, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft.
      ½ teaspoon chilli
    • Add the seafood mix and prawns, bring to a boil then turn the heat down and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
      14 ounce / 400 grams frozen seafood mix, 7 ounce / 200 grams frozen raw prawns/shirmp
    • Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain though a colander then mix the pasta through the sauce.
      12 ounce / 400 grams spaghetti, linguine or tagliatelle, 1 teaspoon salt
    • Serve immediately with garlic bread and a green leafy salad with cherry tomatoes.

    Notes

    If you are using fresh chilli, process it with the onions and garlic.
    Cook the pasta to your own taste.  Different brands of pasta will not all cook at the same time.  Test by removing one strand and tasting to see if the correct texture has been reached.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 467kcal | Carbohydrates - 65.1g | Protein - 40.8g | Fat - 4.6g | Saturated Fat - 0.6g | Cholesterol - 281mg | Sodium - 382mg | Potassium - 589mg | Fiber - 2.4g | Sugar - 5g | Calcium - 133mg | Iron - 12mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

    If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!

    If you'd like to continue browsing, just click on this link to all my recipes.

    More Italian-inspired recipes

    • A forkful of risotto alla Milanese being lifted from a serving dish.
      Simple risotto alla Milanese - made without wine
    • A blue serving dish with beef osso buco garnished with parsley.
      Rich and tender boneless beef shin osso buco
    • A green soup dish filled with bully beef minestrone.
      Bully beef minestrone
    • Italian almond biscotti on a cooling rack.
      Italian almond biscotti
    203 shares
    • Share on Facebook52
    • Tweet

    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.84 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

      Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Yvonne Davel

      January 15, 2021 at 1:23 pm

      Luv your recipes

      Reply
      • VJ

        January 15, 2021 at 2:18 pm

        Thank you very much - I'm delighted 🙂

        Reply
    2. Cat | Curly's Cooking

      April 13, 2020 at 6:53 pm

      5 stars
      My Mum and sister would love this! Great simple pasta recipe. Thanks for linking to #cookblogshare.

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of Veronica in the garden in front of a pink-flowering shrub.

    Hi, I'm Veronica! Welcome to my little kitchen. Step inside and browse my collection of recipes collected over the years.

    More about me →

    Readers favourites

    These are my most viewed recipes:

    • Sliced silverside on a plate with carrots and potatoes.
      Slow-cooker beef silverside
    • Slices of oven-baked gammon on a serving dish.
      Easy oven-baked gammon
    • Overhead shot of a white serving bowl filled with beef and kidney stew. There is a large wooden spoon at the side of the bowl.
      Slow-cooker beef and kidney stew
    • A slice of bacon and egg pie on a plate
      Proper bacon and egg pie
    • A pile of crusty German bread rolls.
      Crusty German bread rolls (Brotchen)
    • A dish of twice-cooked pork belly garnished with sesame seeds and spring onions.
      Twice cooked pork belly - with a sticky glaze

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Subscribe

    • Subscribe to my newsletter and get a free recipe ebook.

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 www.foodleclub.com

    Copyright © 2025 Foodleclub.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.