Baked Seafood Pasta

Baked Seafood Pasta combines a mix of shrimp, mussels, and calamari with pasta in a light, creamy white sauce, all topped with golden, crispy breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bursting with flavor yet surprisingly easy to make, it’s comforting and elegant without any fuss. Perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions, it’s a crowd-pleaser even for picky eaters.

Love More Seafood Recipes? Try My Creamy Garlic Shrimp Over Mashed Potatoes .

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Flavorful, comforting, and surprisingly easy, it uses simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. Ready in about 45 minutes, it’s perfect for weeknight dinners, entertaining guests, or impressing even picky eaters. With golden, crispy breadcrumbs and a creamy white sauce, it’s a crowd-pleasing dish that everyone will keep asking for.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you need. I buy the marinara mix when it’s marked down and keep it frozen.

Sometimes I throw in extra shrimp if there’s a good deal. The leeks are worth finding – they don’t make your eyes water like onions do.

For the Pasta Bake

• Pasta: 200g (7 oz) macaroni or your preferred pasta
• Mixed Seafood: 500g (1 lb) marinara mix (shrimp, mussels, fish, calamari)
• Leeks: 2, white and pale green parts only, finely sliced
• Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
• Olive Oil: 1½ tbsp (divided)

For the White Sauce (Béchamel)

• Butter: 3 tbsp
• All-Purpose Flour: 3 tbsp
• Milk: 2½ cups
• Chicken Bouillon Cube: 1 (or 1½ tsp chicken stock powder)
• Salt and Pepper: to taste

For the Topping

• Panko Breadcrumbs: ¾ cup
• Parmesan Cheese: ¼ cup, grated
• Fresh Parsley: finely chopped (optional)

Why These Ingredients Work

Honestly I don’t know the science. The mix gives you different textures so it’s not boring.

Leeks taste milder than onions which is good because seafood is already kinda strong. That bouillon cube was my mom’s idea – she puts it in everything.

The panko gets crispy and stays crispy which regular breadcrumbs don’t do.

I tried making this without the bouillon cube once because I was out. Tasted flat.

My mom was right – it adds this savory background flavor that makes everything taste richer. She learned it from her Italian neighbor back in the 70s.

Sometimes old ladies know best. That neighbor, Mrs. Romano, used to make the most amazing food.

She’d bring over casseroles when we were sick and they always tasted like restaurant food. This was before I knew cooking could be easy.

Essential Tools and Equipment

Big pot for pasta. Big skillet – I use the one that came with my stove.

Whisk if you have one but a fork works too. 9×13 pan like for brownies. That’s it.

I don’t have fancy equipment. My whisk is from the dollar store. My baking dish has scratches from years of use.

The skillet is probably 15 years old. You don’t need expensive stuff to make good food.

The most important thing is a pan that gets hot and a dish that fits in your oven. Everything else is just nice to have.

How to Make Baked Seafood Pasta

Step 1: Get Everything Ready

Heat the oven to 350°F and cook your pasta one minute less than the package says (so if it calls for 8 minutes, do 7). Drain and transfer it to a baking pan, saving a cup of pasta water before draining. Any short pasta—penne, rigatoni, shells, even whole wheat if you’re feeling healthy—works fine, and the starchy water will help loosen thick sauce and bind everything together.

Step 2: Quick Seafood Sear

Heat oil in a skillet until it’s smoking hot, then add the seafood and let it sear—30 seconds per side without touching it. It may still look undercooked, but that’s fine since it will finish in the oven and come out perfect. The quick sear creates caramelized bits that add incredible flavor, so don’t skip this step even if you’re in a rush.

Step 3: Sauté the Aromatics

In the same pan, lower the heat and add a little more oil, then toss in the leeks and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, just until the leeks soften and the garlic turns fragrant—your kitchen will smell amazing. Be careful not to burn the garlic, though, or it’ll turn bitter and ruin the whole dish.

Step 4: Basic White Sauce

Melt butter in the pan, stir in flour for a minute until it smells nutty, then slowly whisk in one cup of room-temperature milk to avoid lumps before adding the rest along with a bouillon cube. Cook until thickened, season with salt and pepper, and you’ve got a simple version of bechamel without the fuss. The key is patience—adding milk too fast or using it cold will leave you with a lumpy mess, so let it warm up while the pasta cooks.

Step 5: Assembly Time

Pour the sauce over everything, then mix panko with cheese and sprinkle it on top—it doesn’t have to be perfect. Some bites will be crunchier, others cheesier, and that’s part of the charm. My kids even fight over the crusty corners, so now I always scatter a little extra topping around the edges for maximum crunch.

Step 6: Into the Oven

Bake for 20–25 minutes until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling around the edges, then let it rest for 5 minutes so you don’t scorch your mouth. I always set a timer to avoid burning dinner, and sometimes finish it under the broiler for an extra-crispy top.

You Must Know

I keep a roll of paper towels next to the stove just for this. Pat everything dry before it goes in the hot pan.

The difference between steamed gray seafood and golden seared seafood is huge. Takes 30 seconds and makes everything taste better.

Personal Secret: Dry off the seafood first. Paper towels. If it’s wet it just steams instead of getting brown.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Get your milk out of the fridge early. Cold milk makes lumps
• Don’t walk away when you’re searing seafood. Burns fast
• Save some pasta water in case your sauce gets too thick
• Frozen seafood needs to be totally thawed first

I keep a cup of pasta water on the counter every time I make this. Sometimes the sauce gets thick while you’re assembling everything and a splash of pasta water loosens it right up.

The starchy water also helps everything stick together better. It’s like edible glue for pasta dishes.

Thaw your seafood completely before cooking. I put it in a colander in the sink and run cold water over it.

Takes maybe 10 minutes and it’s ready to go. Don’t use hot water – it starts cooking the seafood.

Flavor Variations

• More vegetables: Throw in whatever vegetables you have. Cherry tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms
• Spicy: Red pepper flakes in the sauce
• Different cheese: I’ve used sharp cheddar when I was out of parmesan
• With wine: Pour in half a cup of white wine after the leeks. Let it cook off

Make-Ahead Options

I make this Saturday morning sometimes. Put it together, cover with foil, stick it in the fridge.

When we want dinner I just bake it. Takes longer since it’s cold but works fine.

This is perfect for busy weeknights or when you’re having people over. I’ve made it the night before dinner parties and just popped it in the oven when guests arrived.

Makes me look more organized than I actually am. Nobody needs to know I made it in my pajamas the night before.

The assembled dish keeps in the fridge for 2 days before baking. Any longer and the pasta gets mushy.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

If your sauce gets lumpy don’t panic. Pour it through a strainer. Happens to me all the time when I rush.

Crush up that bouillon cube first or you’ll be fishing out chunks later.

I used to get so frustrated when my sauce turned out lumpy. Now I just keep a fine mesh strainer handy.

Problem solved in 30 seconds. The bouillon cube thing took me forever to figure out – kept finding these salty chunks in the finished dish.

Now I crush the cube with the back of a spoon before adding it to the milk. Dissolves completely and no surprises.

Serving Suggestions

Whatever salad I can make and some bread. My husband opens wine. Sometimes garlic bread if I remember to buy bread.

I’m not fancy about sides. Bagged salad from the store, whatever dressing we have. The bread is mainly for soaking up any leftover sauce because that stuff is too good to waste.

My kids fight over who gets to scrape the bottom of the pan. I usually make them share but sometimes I let the littlest one win.

A simple green salad with lemon dressing cuts through the richness nicely. But honestly, this dish is rich enough to stand alone.

Hope your family likes this as much as mine does. My kids actually ask for this now which never happens.

This recipe saved me so many times when I couldn’t think of what to make for dinner. It feels fancy enough for company but easy enough for regular Tuesday nights.

Plus it uses up whatever seafood is taking up space in your freezer. I call it my “freezer rescue” recipe.

How to Store Your Baked Seafood Pasta

Refrigerator: 3 days covered Freezer: 2 months but texture gets weird Reheating: Cover with foil, 350 degrees until hot

Leftover portions reheat great in the microwave for lunch the next day. The sauce might separate a little but still tastes good.

I’ve never had leftovers last more than 2 days in my house. This stuff disappears fast.

Allergy Information

Has: Wheat, dairy, seafood Substitutes: Rice noodles for gluten free. Coconut milk tastes different but works. Skip cheese for dairy free.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Fresh seafood instead of frozen?

Sure but it costs more and cooks faster. I stick with frozen.

My sauce is lumpy?
Strain it. Happens when you add milk too fast.

No seafood version?

I’ve done mushrooms and spinach when seafood was expensive.

Best pasta?

Short shapes like penne hold sauce better.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I’d love to hear how it turned out and any creative variations you tried.