Seafood and pasta is one of those combinations that works across almost every flavor direction, from the richness of Alfredo and the heat of Cajun spice to brighter, lighter preparations built around lemon or pesto, which is a big part of why this list ended up with 34 recipes in it.
There are shrimp, salmon, tuna, crab, lobster, scallops, and even clams represented here, covering a range wide enough that you could cook from this list for weeks without repeating yourself. Whether you want a fast weeknight pasta or something more involved that earns its time at the table, the right recipe is somewhere in this collection.
Jump to:
- What makes these recipes special?
- Top Tips
- Shrimp Scampi Linguine - Instant Pot Recipe
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
- Easy Shrimp Scampi in the Ninja Foodi
- Crab Mac & Cheese - The Ultimate Comfort Food
- Easy Olive Garden Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
- Shrimp Alfredo
- Tortellini Salmon Salad
- Pasta with Nduja Sauce and Shrimp (Prawns)
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Delicious Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
- Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe + Video
- Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Lemon Shrimp and Orzo
- Creamy Tuna Pesto Pasta
- Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta Recipe
- Chorizo and Prawn Pasta
- Flamed Scallops Pasta
- Quick and Easy Garlic Prawn Pesto Pasta
- Lemon Butter Salmon Pasta
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Copycat Cheesecake Factory Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
- Creamy Lobster Ravioli Sauce Recipe
- Lobster Mac and Cheese + Video
- Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Garlic Shrimp with Chilli Pesto Pasta
- Summer Pasta With Shrimp
- Aglio & Olio Shrimp Fettuccine
- Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Tuna
- Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Garlic Butter Scampi Sauce and Capers
- Linguine alle vongole recipe (pasta with clams)
- Seafood Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops (and Garlic!)
- Comments
Shrimp scampi alone shows up in several different forms here, including an Instant Pot version, a Ninja Foodi version, a wine-free take, and one with a garlic butter scampi sauce and capers that adds a brininess most scampi recipes leave out. The tuna pasta options are equally varied, running from classic tuna pasta salads to a creamy pesto version and a zesty Italian-style preparation made without mayo. Flamed Scallops Pasta sits at the more unusual end of the list for anyone looking for something genuinely different from the usual shrimp-forward options.
What makes the recipes in this roundup special?
- The recipes were created by a real person—not generated by AI.
- The photos show the actual recipe, made and photographed in real life.
- The blog is run by a human being—not an AI avatar or bot-run site.
- The recipe is original and created by the blogger—not purchased or republished content.
- All recipes in this roundup have earned a star rating of 4 stars or higher from readers or reviewers.
Top Tips
- Salt your pasta water generously. Seafood pasta dishes rely heavily on the pasta itself for seasoning, and properly salted cooking water is the most effective way to season pasta from the inside out before any sauce is added.
- Reserve pasta water before draining. A cup of starchy pasta water is one of the most useful tools for finishing a seafood pasta sauce, since it loosens thick sauces and helps them adhere to the pasta without breaking the emulsion.
- Cook shrimp and scallops separately from the sauce. Adding raw seafood directly into a sauce means it often steams instead of searing, so cooking shrimp or scallops in a hot pan first and adding them back at the end gives a much better texture.
- Don't rinse pasta after cooking. Rinsing removes the surface starch that helps sauce cling to every piece of pasta, which is especially important in butter-based seafood dishes where the sauce is already fairly light.
- Pat seafood dry before it hits the pan. Excess moisture on shrimp, salmon, or scallops creates steam in the skillet and prevents any browning from happening, so a quick blot with a paper towel right before cooking makes a meaningful difference in the final result.
Shrimp Scampi Linguine - Instant Pot Recipe
The Instant Pot cooks shrimp scampi linguine all in one pot, which means the pasta absorbs flavor as it cooks rather than finishing in a separate pan. A convenient method that skips the usual multi-step scampi process without sacrificing the result.
Photo credit: The Tasty Travelers
Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
Shrimp fettuccine Alfredo is a classic combination where the wide noodles hold a rich, creamy sauce and the shrimp adds both protein and texture. A comfort pasta that delivers on what the name promises every time.
Photo credit: The Tasty Travelers
Easy Shrimp Scampi in the Ninja Foodi
Shrimp scampi in the Ninja Foodi gets done quickly with even heat that keeps the shrimp from overcooking. An easy appliance-based approach to a dish that traditionally requires careful stovetop attention.
Photo credit: The Salted Pepper
Crab Mac & Cheese - The Ultimate Comfort Food
Crab mac and cheese is comfort food taken up a notch, where the seafood transforms a familiar dish into something more substantial and dinner-worthy. A filling pasta recipe that earns its reputation as a crowd-pleasing centerpiece.
Photo credit: The Salted Pepper
Easy Olive Garden Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
This copycat version of the Olive Garden shrimp Alfredo is built for anyone who orders it regularly and wants to make it at home. A restaurant-style pasta that skips the drive and the wait.
Photo credit: CopyKat Recipes
Shrimp Alfredo
A straightforward shrimp Alfredo without the restaurant framing, letting the pasta and sauce do the work without extra steps. A clean, direct version of the classic for any night it sounds right.
Photo credit: Chew Out Loud
Tortellini Salmon Salad
Tortellini paired with salmon in a salad format is an unexpected take that works well for warm-weather meals or make-ahead lunches. A pasta salad that feels more substantial than most.
Photo credit: Cooking With Curls
Pasta with Nduja Sauce and Shrimp (Prawns)
Nduja sauce on pasta with shrimp brings a spicy, spreadable salami paste into a seafood format that most recipes never try. A bold, heat-forward pasta for anyone looking for something noticeably different from the usual options.
Photo credit: The Pasta Project
Tuna Pasta Salad
Tuna pasta salad is one of the most reliable make-ahead options in a seafood pasta collection, since it holds well and works for lunch or a lighter dinner. A version worth keeping in regular rotation.
Photo credit: It Is A Keeper
Delicious Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
Shrimp scampi without wine makes the recipe accessible for anyone who doesn't keep wine in the kitchen or prefers to skip it entirely. A version that delivers the same fundamental character without that one ingredient.
Photo credit: Dizzy Busy And Hungry
Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe + Video
This tuna pasta salad includes a video walkthrough, which is particularly useful for anyone who wants to follow along rather than just read a recipe. A helpful reference for a dish that benefits from seeing the textures and consistency firsthand.
Photo credit: The Slow Roasted Italian
Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Garlic shrimp pasta is one of the most reliable weeknight formats, where the garlic does the flavor work and the shrimp cooks quickly enough that the whole dish comes together fast. Simple, satisfying, and worth having in regular rotation.
Photo credit: Cooking With Curls
Lemon Shrimp and Orzo
Orzo cooks faster than most pasta shapes and holds up well against shrimp and a lemon-based dressing or sauce. A lighter format that works as a complete meal or a side dish depending on the occasion.
Photo credit: A Cedar Spoon
Creamy Tuna Pesto Pasta
A creamy pesto sauce with tuna is an uncommon pairing that ends up working surprisingly well together. Rich enough to satisfy but built on a sauce that's more interesting than standard cream-based options.
Photo credit: By Kelsey Smith
Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta Recipe
Garlic and butter as a base for shrimp pasta produces a sauce that coats every piece of pasta evenly and lets the shrimp flavor come through cleanly. One of the more classic approaches on this list and one of the most forgiving for a weeknight cook.
Photo credit: Noshing With The Nolands
Chorizo and Prawn Pasta
Chorizo paired with prawns in a pasta dish creates a smoky, spiced foundation that changes the entire character of the bowl. Two strong ingredients that pull in the same direction and make every bite more interesting than a single-protein version would be.
Photo credit: Cooking Gorgeous
Flamed Scallops Pasta
Flaming the scallops before adding them to pasta creates a deeply caramelized surface that adds a layer of flavor most scallop pasta recipes never develop. A technique-forward recipe that earns its place at the more impressive end of this list.
Photo credit: The FoodOlic Recipes
Quick and Easy Garlic Prawn Pesto Pasta
Pesto and garlic on prawns is a quick, high-flavor pasta that requires very little cooking time once everything is prepped. A short-ingredient-list dinner that punches above its effort level.
Photo credit: Krumpli
Lemon Butter Salmon Pasta
Lemon and butter with salmon creates a sauce that's light enough to let the fish remain the focal point of the dish. A clean, well-balanced pasta for any night when salmon sounds like the right call.
Photo credit: Recipes From A Pantry
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Cajun seasoning on shrimp pasta delivers a spiced, heat-forward dish that's considerably more interesting than a standard cream pasta. A recipe where the seasoning profile does the work and the shrimp provides the substance.
Photo credit: XOXO Bella
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
The Cheesecake Factory's Cajun jambalaya pasta is a restaurant menu staple that translates well to a home recipe. A copycat version worth making for anyone who orders this dish regularly and wants it at home without the check.
Photo credit: The Cookin Chicks
Creamy Lobster Ravioli Sauce Recipe
A dedicated creamy sauce recipe for lobster ravioli is exactly what most storebought ravioli is missing. A sauce that improves the whole dish and makes a quick dinner feel like something genuinely special.
Photo credit: By Kelsey Smith
Lobster Mac and Cheese + Video
Lobster mac and cheese with an accompanying video is useful for anyone who wants to watch the process before diving in. A decadent pasta dish that takes mac and cheese in the most indulgent direction possible.
Photo credit: The Slow Roasted Italian
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Creamy and Cajun together on shrimp pasta creates a sauce that's both rich and spiced, covering two flavor notes that tend to work well in the same bowl. A weeknight pasta that feels more considered than the effort involved.
Photo credit: Deliciously Rushed
Tuna Pasta Salad
Another take on tuna pasta salad that's worth comparing to the other version on this list when deciding which format fits the occasion. A dependable, cold pasta option that travels well and holds up for several hours.
Photo credit: Good Dinner Mom
Garlic Shrimp with Chilli Pesto Pasta
Chilli pesto on garlic shrimp pasta pushes the herb-based sauce in a spicier direction than standard pesto would. A pasta where two strong flavors both show up clearly rather than one dominating the other.
Photo credit: Simply Stacie
Summer Pasta With Shrimp
A summer-specific pasta with shrimp suggests a lighter, fresher approach than most of the cream-based recipes on this list. A seasonal format that benefits from the natural sweetness of shrimp when it doesn't have to compete with heavy sauce.
Photo credit: Living Sweet Moments
Aglio & Olio Shrimp Fettuccine
Aglio e olio is one of the most stripped-back pasta sauces possible, and adding shrimp to fettuccine gives that minimal format more substance without losing its simplicity. A clean, garlic-and-oil approach that requires very few ingredients to work well.
Photo credit: The Delicious Spoon
Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
A healthy take on tuna noodle casserole keeps the format familiar while making adjustments that lighten the dish without stripping out what makes it satisfying. A casserole-format seafood pasta that works well for feeding a group or meal prepping ahead.
Photo credit: Skinny Fitalicious
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Tuna
Italian dressing on a pasta salad with tuna skips the mayonnaise and goes for a sharper, more acidic profile instead. A version that holds up better over time and works well for outdoor meals or picnics where a cream-based salad would suffer.
Photo credit: Mae's Menu
Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta
Cajun spice on salmon pasta gives this dish a heat level and boldness that salmon alone rarely delivers. A creamy sauce tempers the Cajun intensity and makes the whole dish feel balanced and filling.
Photo credit: Happy Honey Kitchen
Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Garlic Butter Scampi Sauce and Capers
Capers in a garlic butter scampi sauce add a briney, sharp note that most shrimp pasta recipes skip entirely. A creamy version of scampi that adds one more layer of complexity to an already well-loved pasta format.
Photo credit: The Hearty Life
Linguine alle vongole recipe (pasta with clams)
Linguine with clams is one of the most classic seafood pasta formats, and getting the technique right makes a meaningful difference in the finished dish. A recipe that rewards attention to detail and produces something genuinely restaurant-worthy at home.
Photo credit: The Pasta Project
Seafood Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops (and Garlic!)
Shrimp and scallops together in a garlic pasta make for a two-seafood dish that's more interesting than either protein would be on its own. A recipe that puts two premium ingredients on the same plate and lets garlic tie everything together.
Photo credit: Christina's Cucina
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