Spaghetti Marinara with Seafood, Tomato, Garlic & Fresh Parsley

Destination: Italy. Despite its Italian origins, spaghetti marinara is actually a term more commonly associated with seafood pasta in Australia and New Zealand — marinara sauce in Italian is 'sailor sauce', a tomato base with garlic, herbs and onions. Ours gets a fresh marinara mix seared hard in a screaming-hot pan, then folded through the sauce with spaghetti and plenty of parsley.

Serves 2 · 20 mins + prep · Eat this dish early
Fresh seafood is best cooked within the first day or two of your delivery.

In your box

• 1 marinara mix pack
• 1 spaghetti pack*
• 1 tomato polpa can
• 1 brown onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 parsley bunch

*We've given you more pasta than you need; follow the serving sizes on the packet instructions to keep your dish well balanced.

From your pantry

Table salt & a nice finishing salt, sugar, olive oil

Equipment

Microplane / garlic press (optional), large saucepan, frying pan, sieve

Method

1. Prepare the ingredients. Read the recipe in full before you begin. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Thinly slice the onion, mince the garlic and roughly chop 1 teaspoon per 2 people of parsley.

2. Cook the sauce. Meanwhile, add a splash of oil to a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sweat for 3–5 minutes or until translucent and softened. Add the tomato polpa and half of the parsley, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced slightly and tasting less acidic. Season with a tiny pinch of sugar if it's still too acidic.

3. Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8–10 minutes or as per packet instructions until al dente. Strain and set aside until required.

4. Cook the seafood. When the pasta is nearly cooked, heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add the seafood and cook for 1–2 minutes or until it changes colour and the fish starts to become flaky. Take your tomato sauce off the heat and add the seared seafood to it, stirring to combine.

5. Add the pasta to the sauce. Once cooked and strained, add the pasta to the sauce with the parsley, stirring or tossing to combine.

To serve

Divide between serving plates and bon appétit!

Chef's tips

• Less mess: cooking the sauce in a saucepan instead of a frying pan causes less spitting as it bubbles, though it will take a little longer to reduce.
• Saucier marinara: add some of the starchy pasta water, a little at a time — it helps the sauce bind to the pasta.
• Long pasta trick: it's easier to use tongs to fold spaghetti through the sauce than to stir with a wooden spoon.

Wanna wing it?

• Add chilli for an extra kick
• Serve with a rocket salad
• Finish with some fresh basil or lemon zest
• Top with pangrattato (sautéed golden breadcrumbs) for some crunch

Allergens: crustacean, shellfish, fish, wheat, gluten, egg, onion, garlic.

This dish is in our Italy Cuisine Box, delivered 1st–3rd August — order by Tuesday midnight →