White Wine Seafood Pasta is a quick, elegant seafood dinner with tender spaghetti, juicy shrimp, golden-seared scallops, and a bright garlic-shallot wine sauce that tastes special without being fussy.
This is the kind of pasta you make when you want dinner to feel polished but still realistic for a busy evening. The seafood cooks quickly, the sauce comes together in the same skillet, and the pasta finishes right in the pan so it can soak up all that savory flavor.
The combination of dry white wine, butter, garlic, lemon zest, and parsley keeps the dish light but satisfying. You get richness from the butter, freshness from the lemon and herbs, and just enough heat from the red pepper flakes to make every bite lively.
What makes this recipe work so well is timing. The scallops and shrimp are cooked first, then set aside so they stay tender. The pasta finishes in the sauce at the end, which helps everything taste cohesive instead of like separate parts on a plate.
Ingredients
Spaghetti gives the sauce plenty of surface area to cling to, though another long or medium pasta shape can work if that is what you have.
Sea scallops bring a sweet, delicate seafood flavor and a beautiful golden sear when they are dried well before cooking.
Shrimp adds a juicy, quick-cooking seafood element that pairs naturally with garlic, butter, and lemon.
Dry white wine forms the base of the sauce, adding acidity, depth, and a clean finish as it reduces in the skillet.
Shallots create a softer, slightly sweet aromatic base that blends smoothly into the wine sauce.
Garlic gives the pasta its bold savory backbone and becomes fragrant after a quick sauté.
Butter adds richness, helps sear the seafood, and rounds out the sauce without making it heavy.
Olive oil helps with searing and keeps the butter from browning too quickly in the hot skillet.
Lemon zest brightens the sauce with fresh citrus aroma without adding too much sharpness.
Crushed red pepper flakes add a gentle heat that balances the butter and seafood.
Flat-leaf parsley finishes the dish with color, freshness, and a clean herbal note.
Kosher salt and black pepper season the pasta water, seafood, and sauce so the final dish tastes balanced from start to finish.
Cooking Steps
STEP 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until it is about 1 minute shy of al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and keep it nearby. Drain the pasta and set it aside while you finish the seafood and sauce.
STEP 2: Pat the scallops very dry with paper towels and remove the small side muscle if attached. Season them lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add part of the butter with olive oil until hot and shimmering.
STEP 3: Place the scallops in the skillet with space between each one. Let them sear without moving for about 3 minutes, until the first side is deeply golden. Flip and cook briefly on the second side, just until cooked through, then transfer them to a plate and cover loosely.
STEP 4: Add the shrimp to the same skillet and season lightly if needed. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning as needed, until the shrimp are pink and opaque. Move them to the plate with the scallops so they do not overcook while the sauce is prepared.
STEP 5: Lower the heat slightly and add the remaining butter for the sauce. Stir in the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Cook for a few minutes, just until the shallots soften and the garlic smells fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn, because it can turn bitter quickly.
STEP 6: Pour in the white wine and bring it to a gentle simmer, scraping up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the wine reduce for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce tastes more concentrated and the liquid has reduced by about half.
STEP 7: Stir in some reserved pasta water, lemon zest, and part of the parsley. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss it directly in the sauce. Continue turning the pasta until it finishes cooking and becomes glossy, adding more pasta water in small splashes as needed.
STEP 8: Return the scallops and shrimp to the skillet and gently fold them into the pasta. Keep your movements light so the scallops stay whole. Finish with the remaining parsley and serve with lemon wedges for a fresh final touch.
Can I use frozen seafood?
Yes, frozen shrimp and scallops can work well, but they need to be thawed completely and dried very thoroughly before cooking. Extra moisture prevents browning, especially with scallops, so take a little time to pat them dry before they hit the skillet.
What kind of white wine should I use?
Choose a dry white wine with a crisp, clean flavor. Avoid sweet wines because they can make the sauce taste too sugary once reduced. A dry white wine you would enjoy drinking is usually a good choice for this style of seafood pasta.
How do I keep scallops from turning rubbery?
The key is high heat, dry scallops, and a short cooking time. Sear them until golden on the first side, then cook only briefly after flipping. Once they are done, remove them from the pan while you build the sauce.
Can I make this dish less spicy?
Yes. Reduce the crushed red pepper flakes or leave them out completely for a milder sauce. The pasta will still have plenty of flavor from the garlic, shallots, white wine, butter, lemon zest, and fresh parsley.
Helpful Tips
- Dry the scallops well before searing. Moisture is the biggest reason scallops steam instead of browning, so press them gently with paper towels before seasoning.
- Keep the seafood slightly separate while finishing the sauce. Shrimp and scallops cook quickly, and adding them back at the end helps them stay tender.
- Add pasta water slowly. A few splashes can loosen the sauce and help it cling to the spaghetti, but too much at once can make the dish watery.
What to Serve with Seafood Pasta
A crisp green salad is a simple pairing that keeps the meal fresh. Use tender greens, cucumber, or shaved fennel with a lemony vinaigrette so the side does not compete with the seafood.
Garlic bread or a warm crusty loaf is also a great choice, especially for catching any extra white wine sauce left on the plate. Keep the bread simple so the pasta remains the main focus.
For a vegetable side, roasted asparagus, sautéed zucchini, or steamed green beans work nicely. Their clean flavors fit the lemon, parsley, and seafood without making the plate feel too heavy.
How to Store & Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Seafood is delicate, so this pasta is best enjoyed soon after cooking rather than held for several days.
For reheating, warm it gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or a small pat of butter to loosen the sauce. Stir carefully and heat just until warmed through, because shrimp and scallops can become tough if reheated aggressively.
Freezing is not recommended for this dish. The seafood can lose its tender texture, and the pasta may soften too much after thawing. If you want to prep ahead, chop the shallots, mince the garlic, zest the lemon, and measure your ingredients before cooking.
White Wine Seafood Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 medium shallots finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
- 1 pound spaghetti or another pasta shape of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper for the sauce
- 1/2 pound sea scallops thoroughly patted dry for proper browning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil preferably extra virgin, for searing
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 6 fresh garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt for seasoning the pasta water
- 1/2 pound shrimp peeled and deveined, with tails left on or removed
- 2/3 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
- Kosher salt as needed for seasoning the seafood and sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Black pepper as needed for seasoning the seafood
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for the sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it until it is 1 minute shy of the time listed on the package directions.
- Before draining, carefully reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and keep it nearby for finishing in the sauce.
- Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Make sure the scallops are dry and that any side muscle has been removed. Season both sides with kosher salt and a small amount of black pepper.
- Arrange the scallops in the hot skillet in one even layer, leaving space between them. Sear without moving them for about 3 minutes, until the underside is deeply browned and the scallops are roughly three-quarters cooked.
- Turn the scallops over and continue cooking for about 90 seconds, or until cooked through. Transfer them to a plate and loosely cover with foil.
- Add the shrimp to the same skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring as needed, until the shrimp turn pink and are fully cooked. Move them to the plate with the scallops and keep them covered.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet, followed by the diced shallots, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, a pinch of kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the aromatics become fragrant and softened.
- Pour the white wine into the skillet and bring it to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by about half.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley, and the lemon zest. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss it thoroughly in the wine sauce. Continue turning the pasta in the pan so it becomes evenly coated and finishes cooking.
- Add more reserved pasta water as needed, a little at a time, until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
- Return the scallops and shrimp to the skillet, placing them over the pasta. Gently toss everything together without breaking the scallops.
- Finish with the remaining fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges for a bright final accent.
