Spicy Seafood Tomato Pasta
Quick answer
- Total time
- 33 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Spicy seafood tomato pasta starts by building a chili-infused oil base - garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes sauteed in olive oil until fragrant.
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Shrimp and squid are seared briefly until just opaque on the outside, then hand-crushed whole tomatoes are added and the sauce simmers for six to seven minutes, during which the tomato reduces and absorbs the juices released by the seafood. Cooking the seafood only until the surface turns white is critical, as the residual heat from the simmering sauce finishes them gently without making them rubbery. The spaghetti is boiled one minute short of al dente and tossed in the sauce pan with a splash of pasta water over high heat, which emulsifies the sauce and binds it to each strand. The chili heat cuts cleanly through the tomato's acidity and the seafood's brininess, and chopped parsley adds a final fresh herbal note.
Ingredients
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Pat the shrimp and squid lightly dry so they sear instead of steaming.
Crush the 250 g canned whole tomatoes roughly by hand or with a spoon, leaving some texture for the sauce.
- 2Finish
Boil the 180 g spaghetti in well-salted water for 1 minute less than the package time.
Before draining, reserve about half a cup of pasta water to loosen and emulsify the sauce later.
- 3Control
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
Add the 20 g garlic and 80 g onion, and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and softened, stopping before the garlic browns.
- 4Season
Add 1 tsp red chili flakes and stir for only 20 seconds to season the oil without burning the chili.
Add the shrimp and squid, then cook just until the surfaces turn opaque.
- 5Control
Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer over medium-low heat for 6-7 minutes.
Let the sauce thicken and combine with the seafood juices, but avoid reducing it until dry.
- 6Finish
Add the drained pasta and 2 tbsp reserved pasta water, then toss over high heat for 1 minute.
When the sauce clings to the strands, finish with 1 tbsp parsley and serve immediately.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Shrimp and squid seared in chili oil finish in crushed tomatoes that absorb the seafood juices for depth.
- Finish cue
- Add the shrimp and squid, then cook just until the surfaces turn opaque.
- Avoid this
- Cook seafood briefly to avoid a rubbery texture.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
33min, 9 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 109 recipes
Official cooking and safety guidance
-
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat the center to 74°C.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
Sources checked 2026-08-03
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