This creamy Seafood Pasta Bake is easy to make in 45 minutes with just 15 minutes of hands-on cooking. Loaded with shrimp & mussels and amazing flavor from white wine, marjoram, lemon, garlic and Parmesan cheese this dish is great for both weeknights and dinner parties.
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This seafood pasta bake is one of my childhood favorites. So much so, that I once made my dad make it for Christmas. Let's just say, I had good taste as a kid.
The secret to this dish is spelled marjoram. Not a spice I use a lot , but essential for this seafood pasta bake. I have a jar of it in my spice rack just to make this dish.
And I promise, it's worth going out and getting a jar of marjoram for!
Why you will love this recipe
- It's quick - all done in 45 minutes
- It's so easy to make - just a few simple steps
- Hands-off - prep for 15 min and then let it cook itself
- White wine, garlic, lemon & seafood - is there even a better flavor combo?
- Lemon lightens the dish - so you get your creamy cheesy pasta, without the heavy feeling
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Yellow onion can be substituted for another type of onion, especially shallots
- Lemon juice should be fresh for this recipe
- Parmesan cheese is always better if you shred it yourself - but the kind in a bag will work as well
- White wine: choose a dry kind you enjoy drinking for best results
- Fresh pasta: I like fettuccine or tagliatelle for this recipe, but another type of pasta works as well
- Shrimp: I use frozen, peeled shrimp that I allow to thaw before cooking
- Cream can be heavy cream, half and half or cooking cream
How to make it
- Pour white wine into a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat
- Add the fish bouillon cube
- Whisk until the bouillon cube is thoroughly dissolved
- Add lemon juice
- Add chopped onion and garlic and season with salt, pepper, and marjoram. Stir, then simmer 5 minutes.
- Add mussels, then simmer 1 minute
- Remove from the heat and add in the shrimp
- Butter an oven safe dish and add half the pasta in the bottom
- Add half the shrimp & mussels mixture
- Add half the Parmesan cheese, then add another layer with the rest of the pasta, sauce and cheese
- Pour over cream
- Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden and crispy on top. Top with chopped fresh parsley to serve!
Tips & tricks
- Check after 20 minutes of baking to make sure it's not getting too much color
- Finish it in one sitting - this dish is best right after it's cooked, but it is possible to store leftovers. It can however make the shrimp and mussels a bit chewy.
- If you want to cook your pasta all stove top I recommend this Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta instead
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container and consume within 3 days
- Freeze leftovers to keep them for up to 3 months
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1 minute increments
- Reheat leftovers in the oven, covered, for 20 minutes at 350°F (175 °C)
Recipe FAQ
Do you cook pasta before making pasta bake?
This depends on the recipe. For most recipes I recommend not cooking the pasta first, and instead allowing for a longer cook time.
For this recipe we use fresh pasta, so it still cooks quickly.
How long can cooked pasta be left out?
Cooked pasta should not be left in room temperature for more than 2 hours. If you have leftovers, allow them to cool and then store in the refrigerator.
What pairs well with seafood pasta?
The best thing to pair this seafood pasta with is a vegetable side dish. I recommend Garlic Roasted Broccoli, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts or Arugula Sun Dried Tomato Salad. You can also pair it with a nice piece of garlic bread, like a Texas Toast.
More quick & easy dump and bake recipes
Looking for more quick & easy dump-and-bake recipes?
- Tortellini al Forno with Spinach
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
- Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Baked Cod in Foil with Tomatoes, Potatoes & Lemon
Recipe
Seafood Pasta Bake with Shrimp & Mussels
Print RateServings: 4
Calories: 959kcal
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 1 fish bouillon cube
- â…” cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ lb canned mussels in water drained, weight excl. water
- ½ lb peeled shrimp roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- â…” lb fresh tagliatelle
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 2 cups cream or less - should cover the pasta
To serve
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place a pot over medium-high heat and pour in the white wine. Bring to a boil, then add the bouillon cube and mix until completely dissolved.¾ cup dry white wine, 1 fish bouillon cube
- Add lemon juice, chopped onion and chopped garlic. Mix and season with marjoram, salt and pepper. Mix, bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.â…” cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, 1 yellow onion, 2 tablespoon dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the mussels and mix then turn off the heat and mix in the shrimp.½ lb canned mussels in water, ½ lb peeled shrimp
- Bring out a baking dish that's about 8 x 11 inches (20 x 30 cm). Grease it with butter, then place half the pasta in the bottom. Follow with half of the mussel & shrimp sauce and half of the Parmesan. Then add the rest of the pasta, the rest of the mussel & shrimp sauce and the rest of the Parmesan. Make sure to spread out everything in each layer well. Pour over the cream and make sure all of the pasta is submerged. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.â…” lb fresh tagliatelle, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 cups cream, 1 tablespoon butter
- Bring out, top with parsley (optional) and serve immediately!1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Equipment (may contain affiliate links)
- Baking dish - approximately 8x11 inches (20x30 cm)
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
Video
Notes
- Yellow onion can be substituted for another type of onion, especially shallots
- Parmesan cheese is always better if you shred it yourself - but the kind in a bag will work as well
- White wine: choose a dry kind you enjoy drinking for best results
- Fresh pasta: I like fettuccine or tagliatelle for this recipe, but other kinds work as well
- Shrimp: I use frozen, peeled shrimp that I allow to thaw before cooking
- Cream can be heavy cream, half and half or cooking cream
- Check after 20 minutes of baking to make sure it's not getting too much color
- Finish it in one sitting - this dish is best right after it's cooked, but it is possible to store leftovers. It can however make the shrimp and mussels a bit chewy.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container and consume within 3 days
- Freeze leftovers to keep them for up to 3 months
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1 minute increments
- Reheat leftovers in the oven, covered, for 20 minutes at 350°F (175 °C)
Nutrition
Calories: 959kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 350mg | Sodium: 1224mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2296IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 482mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Did you make this? Tag me today!Tag @alwaysusebutter and use the hashtag #alwaysusebutter!
Gini Holladay
Looks like it’s going to be easy to fix. But I don’t do mussels so what can I substitute in it’s place?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Gini! You could sub in scallops, if you like those? I'd recommend searing and then cutting them in smaller pieces. You could also do something like crab or lobster. Or just skip it, that will work fine as well 🙂 /Emmeline
Amber
Probably won't be making this again. There was so much liquid just sitting in the dish after baking and the cream curdled because of the lemon juice. It was edible but I'd rather just make a pan sauce and pour over the pasta to finish.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Amber, sorry to hear that! I've never had a problem with excess liquid, so not sure what happened there. What type of pasta did you use? Not sure if that was the case, but for other recipes I know readers have had similar problems when using low carb pasta. /Emmeline
cynthia waite
Looks fabulous. Can I sub fettucinne?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Absolutely! Any long type of fresh pasta works 🙂
Shirley
Your directions are very muddled. Including the order of what to do first. second etc. Please tell us what pour over cream means also.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Shirley! I'd love to know exactly which parts of the instructions you found muddled, and what order was not clear? It's hard for me to improve it otherwise. Pour over cream just means to pour the cream over the pasta and other ingredients in the dish. /Emmeline
Byron Thomas
I was so no expecting this recipe to be so easy to prepare. At first, when I looked at the photos, I thought it would be more complicated. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly that beautiful pasta dish came together when I watched the video! What would you suggest for a substitution to the wine?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Same here! When I asked my Dad for the recipe I thought it would be a hard one - but it comes together so easily. If you wanna skip the wine I would either go with water or apple juice - apple juice is my main go to for a sub. Then taste the sauce and add a bit of white wine vinegar if you feel it needs more acidity.
Mahy
You make me so hungry with this casserole. Adding white wine must have given it so much flavor - something I always enjoy when making with wine. Delicious looking dish!
Emmeline Kemperyd
That makes me so happy to hear, Mahy! Just what I was going for 😉 Yeah white wine is such a great flavor enhancer - especially for seafood!
Barbara Findlay
Can I use frozen mussel meat instead of canned?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Barbara! That should be fine, just thaw it first. /Emmeline
Pavani
That is such a delicious looking casserole. Looks easy to make and yummy!! Perfect to make for holiday potlucks.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Pavani! It really is easy & so delicious. And you are right - a great potluck dish.
Andrea Metlika
Pasta and seafood is my favorite combination but you took that to a new level. I really like that you added mussels and baked this.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Mine too I think! Thank you Andrea!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
Seafood pasta is one of my favourite dishes! This looks so delicious, I love the inclusion of white wine.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Same here! Thank you Bintu!
Renee | The Good Hearted Woman
This looks so savory and satisfying! This would make a great passing/potluck dish!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Renee! It sure would, what a great idea!
Genevieve
This pasta sounds delicious and super unique!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Genevieve!
Jessica Formicola
I made this for dinner last night and it was SO delicious! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Oh so happy you liked it! Thank you for commenting Jessica!