Seafood Linguine with White Wine Sauce (Printable)

Italian pasta with shrimp, clams, and mussels in white wine garlic sauce. A vibrant, elegant main dish ready in 40 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 7 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 9 oz fresh clams, scrubbed
03 - 9 oz fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded

→ Pasta

04 - 14 oz dried linguine

→ Sauce

05 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
06 - 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
07 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
08 - ½ tsp red pepper flakes
09 - ¾ cup dry white wine
10 - 1 cup fish or chicken stock
11 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
12 - Zest of ½ lemon
13 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

15 - 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
16 - Lemon wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine until just al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot; sauté until fragrant and soft, about 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes if using.
03 - Increase heat to medium-high. Add shrimp and sauté for 1 minute per side until just turning pink. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside.
04 - Add clams and mussels to the skillet. Pour in the white wine, cover, and cook for 3–4 minutes until shells begin to open. Discard any that do not open.
05 - Add stock, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 2–3 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan.
06 - Add cooked linguine, reserved pasta water, butter, lemon zest, and juice. Toss everything together over low heat until pasta is coated and seafood is heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce creates itself as the seafood releases its natural briny juices into the wine and butter, creating something far more magical than the sum of its parts.
  • You can customize the seafood mix based on what looks freshest at the market that day, making each batch a unique reflection of the season.
02 -
  • When I first started making this dish, I kept overcooking the seafood while waiting for all the shells to open, not realizing that some clams and mussels will never open and should be discarded as they were likely dead before cooking.
  • Adding the pasta cooking water might seem like an afterthought, but that starchy liquid is what transforms separate ingredients into a silky, cohesive sauce that clings to each strand of linguine.
03 -
  • Cook the pasta about two minutes less than package directions suggest, as it will continue absorbing liquid when tossed with the sauce, preventing it from becoming soggy by the time you serve.
  • When cleaning mussels, pull the fuzzy beard out toward the hinge end of the shell rather than the opening to avoid tearing the mussel meat inside.
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