This creamy and elegant Seafood Bucatini with Lemon Garlic Butter is a sophisticated but simple pasta dinner that comes together in 15 minutes and features your favorite shellfish in a creamy, buttery sauce.
This is my go-to dinner when I’m craving a restaurant-quality meal but don’t want to order out. Bucatini is a luscious pasta shape that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, if you ask me. It’s the perfect springy vehicle to wrap around plump and juicy shrimp, clams, and smoked mussels in a bath of umami-packed tomato sauce.
How to Make Seafood Bucatini with Lemon Garlic Butter
Despite its many layers of flavors and textures, this pasta dish takes just 15 minutes to make. All you need is a nice big skillet, a good pair of tongs, and your ingredients at the ready.
Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this seafood pasta dinner:
- Bucatini. Use fresh or dried. This pasta shape has a hollow center, so it’s extra thick and chewy. If you can’t find bucatini, spaghetti or fettuccine will work.
- Shallots and garlic. To build a strong flavor foundation for the lemon-butter sauce.
- Chili flakes. For a touch of heat. Feel free to use more or less to taste.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes. Regular diced tomatoes will also work, but fire-roasted adds a touch of smokiness to the dish. Drain out the tomato water before adding the tomatoes to the pot.
- Shrimp. I like to use large shrimp for this recipe.
- Smoked mussels. You can find these tinned.
- Clams. Use your favorite kind of clams, just make sure to soak them beforehand to remove any sand.
- White wine. Choose a nice dry variety.
- Butter. Make sure your butter is cold so it gets a chance to melt slowly and emulsify in the sauce.
- Lemons. You’ll need plenty of fresh lemon juice to make this bright and creamy sauce.
Seafood Bucatini with Lemon Garlic Butter
This creamy and elegant Seafood Bucatini with Lemon Garlic Butter is a sophisticated but simple pasta dinner that comes together in 15 minutes and features your favorite shellfish in a creamy, buttery sauce.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bucatini pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
- ¼ cup minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 cup fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
- ½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup smoked mussels, shelled
- 1 cup clams, shelled
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup cold butter, cubed
- 3 lemons, juiced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, toss in olive oil and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots, garlic and chili flakes. Sauté until fragrant and translucent.
- Add the tomatoes and shrimp and sauté until they begin to release some color and liquid. Add the mussels, clams and cooked pasta.
- Add the white wine and bring to a simmer to reduce the liquid by half.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter a few cubes at a time, stirring constantly so the sauce doesn’t separate or break.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the lemon juice and toss again. Season with salt and pepper and finish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
If you love this seafood bucatini, try these other hearty and comforting recipes next:
- One Pot Gluten-Free Spaghetti Carbonara
- Fire Roasted Tomato Weeknight Spaghetti
- Pasta Bianco with Shrimp
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