Spaghetti Marinara is an easy and appetising pasta to make at home, and takes little time to prepare. The sauce usually consists of tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, and is seasoned with herbs such as bay leaves, thyme or oregano. The dish is then filled with a variety of seafood such as shrimps, squids, scallops, mussels and clams. There are many variations of this popular pasta in different countries around the world, adjusted according to the local cultures and ingredients available.
Our Spaghetti Marinara recipe uses only a few ingredients. One essential is our newly launched MUSHROOM QQ Fish Filament, which has a nice bouncy texture similar to scallops. It goes really well with the sauce and pasta. You can then pair with other seafood of your choice such as shrimps, squids, mussels, clams, or even crayfish and lobster.
We prefer to use canned chopped tomatoes to make the sauce, but you can use diced or whole peeled canned tomatoes if you prefer. A few tablespoons of tomato puree/paste are then added to enhance the tomato flavour.
We use spaghetti but feel free to use other types of pasta such as linguine, fettuccine and tagliatelle. Whatever your choices of pasta and seafood, your family will surely be impressed with this versatile and flavourful dish!
Ingredients
| 300 g | dry spaghetti |
|---|---|
| 2 tbsp | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | medium onion, finely chopped |
| 4 | garlic cloves, coarsely chopped |
| 1 can (400g) | chopped tomatoes |
| 2 tbsp | tomato puree |
| 4 | dried bay leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme) |
| 150 ml | water |
| Freshly ground black pepper | |
| Salt & sugar to taste | |
| 12 - 15 pieces | MUSHROOM QQ Filament |
| 200 g | shrimps (shelled and deveined) |
| 300 g | mussels, cleaned |
| Chopped Flat-leaf/Italian parsley | |
| Grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle) |
Method
- Cook spaghetti in boiling water in a large pot with ¼ teaspoon of salt until desired texture. Drain and toss the pasta in 1 teaspoon olive oil to prevent sticking.
- While spaghetti is cooking, prepare marinara sauce.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and fry garlic and onion for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste/puree, herbs, water and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes on low heat until slightly thickened. Stir from time to time to prevent the bottom from being burnt or sticking.
- Add MUSHROOM QQ Filament and seafood to tomato sauce, and cook for another 4 - 5 minutes on medium heat with the lid covered, until the seafood is just cooked. Season with ground black pepper, salt and sugar (for a less sour tomato sauce).
- Stir in chopped parsley (if using), and toss the sauce through spaghetti. Dish into plates, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and garnish with additional chopped parsley, serve immediately.
QL Kitchen Tips:
- Sprinkle some chili flakes onto the pasta before serving if you like a spicy version.
- You can also use other types of pasta, such as linguine, fettuccine, tagliatelle or penne.
To find out more about MUSHROOM products and where to purchase, click here.
