That Spicy Chick

Creamy Tom Yum Pasta

This Creamy Tom Yum Pasta is easy to make, exploding with Thai and Italian flavors, and super cozy and comforting! Seafood and veggies are tossed with pasta in a mouthwatering and fiery tom yum cream sauce!

Creamy Tom Yum Pasta with clams, shrimp, squid, spinach, baby corn, mushrooms, and chopped coriander in a large black pan

Spicy, sweet, sour, feisty and fiery, AND creamy! Also, cozy, comforting, and simply downright delicious!

Yes, that sums up this tantalizing fusion (Thai and Italian) Creamy Tom Yum Pasta!

This recipe came about one night when I was craving my Cream Sauce Seafood Pasta. (If you haven’t tried it yet, I insist you do. It’s absolutely sublime.) But I wanted to switch things up and take it up a notch. I’m super glad I found the bottle of tom yum paste in the back of my fridge that evening, because it allowed me to bring to life this irresistible Creamy Tom Yum Pasta! 😍

Pasta in tom yum cream sauce with seafood, baby spinach, baby corn, and sliced mushrooms in a white round plate.

HERE’S WHAT’S GOING ON IN THIS CREAMY TOM YUM PASTA

This pasta dish is so full of flavor, and it really hits all the right spots. It’s vibrant, bright, and incredibly satisfying on all fronts!

We have here:

  • A winning seafood combination with shrimp, clams, and squid.
  • A heavenly cream sauce that it spiked with zingy tom yum paste! 😋
  • Veggies. (Just a few – baby corn, mushrooms, and baby spinach)
  • PAASSSTAAAA! ❤️
  • And freshly chopped coriander for some herby freshness!

Let’s make some Creamy Tom Yum Pasta!

Pasta in tom yum cream sauce with seafood, mushrooms, and baby corn in a white plate

CREAMY TOM YUM PASTA INGREDIENTS

We’ll start with our ingredients list first. To make this delicious Creamy Tom Yum Pasta, you will need…

  • Seafood: I went with a combination of squid, clams, and shrimp. But you can use any type of seafood you like really. Using frozen or fresh seafood is up to you, but frozen works perfectly fine. For this recipe, I use a combination of fresh and frozen seafood: fresh squid from the market, and frozen clams and shrimp. (Note: If you’d like to make this vegetarian, see the variations section below.)
  • Lime Juice: As always, I recommend freshly squeezed.
  • Aromatics: Just some finely minced garlic and onion. I also use a couple of red chilies for some heat. But feel free to omit or deseed the chilies, or reduce the quantity to suit your taste. 👌
  • Creamy sauce ingredients: Unsalted butter, milk, and all-purpose flour.
  • Tom Yum Paste: Our star ingredient that comes from Thailand and differentiates this pasta from other Cream Sauce Seafood Pasta dishes! Tom Yum Paste is a fiery, sour and sweet reddish-orange Thai paste that is used in Tom Yum Soup. It’s usually made with lemongrass, chilies, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, and/or dried shrimp. I used this store-bought Tom Yum Paste, and you can find it in Asian markets or Thai grocery stores. The paste I used was on the spicier side, so you can add 1-2 tablespoons first, and add more if needed after tasting the sauce.
  • Seasonings & Spices: You’ll need kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper for the seafood. In addition, you’ll need kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, mint flakes, and crushed red chili flakes to flavor the cream sauce. (Feel free to omit or adjust the amount of the crushed red chili flakes to taste if you prefer to make this milder.)
  • White Sugar: To balance out the sour and spicy flavors from the tom yum paste.
  • Parmigiano Reggiano (or Parmesan) Cheese: I highly recommend buying a block of cheese at the store and grating it at home yourself. It will melt better and more evenly in the sauce. Plus, it won’t have any of the preservatives the bags of pre-shredded cheese at the store do.
  • Coriander: Freshly chopped please, and to add some herby green freshness to this vibrant pasta dish!
  • Pasta: I went with linguini, but you can use any type of pasta you like, including gluten-free and whole wheat pasta.
Shrimps, clams, and squid cooking in a pan with oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and lime juice

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY TOM YUM PASTA

To make this feisty fusion Creamy Tom Yum Pasta, start by getting all of the prep work out of the way.

  1. Make the Spice Bowl: Combine all the spices and seasonings for the Creamy Tom Yum Pasta in a small bowl. Cover and set aside until needed.
  2. Prepare the Seafood: Rinse and chop the squid into ½-inch wide rings/pieces, then remove the skin, rinse again and pat-dry. Soak the clams for 20 minutes in a bowl of water, then rinse them thoroughly if using fresh. (Note: You can skip scrubbing the clams if you are using frozen and the package indicates they are ready to cook.) Peel and devein the shrimp if needed, rinse thoroughly, and pat-dry with a paper towel. Place the squid, clams, and shrimp into individual bowls and set aside.
  3. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Finely mince the garlic and onion, and chop the coriander. Soak the mushrooms in water for a few minutes, rinse and drain well. Remove the stubs and discard (or save to make a soup or broth some other time), then thinly slice the meaty part. Slice the baby corn through the middle lengthwise, and then again through the middle widthwise. Wash and dry the baby spinach with paper towels, and set aside everything until needed.
  4. Cook the linguini: Cook the linguini al–dente according to package directions in a large pot or deep sauté pan of boiling salted water. During the last minute of cooking, add the baby spinach. Drain and set aside. (I like to run water over my pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further.) Rinse out the pan and set it back on the stove.
Linguini, shrimps, clams, squid, and spinach being tossed in tom yum cream sauce

Now that all of your ingredients are prepped and ready to go, it’s time to make the Creamy Tom Yum Pasta!

  1. Cook the seafood: Heat olive oil in a medium sized sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add all of the seafood, kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and lime juice. Sauté for a minute, then add the garlic and give everything a good stir to combine. Cover the pan and steam for 2-3 minutes. Uncover the pan and transfer the shrimp and squid to a clean bowl once they have just cooked through. Cover again and steam the clams for a further 2-3 minutes, or until their shells have opened. Then, switch off the heat. (Note: Discard any clams after this point if their shells are still closed tight. They are not suitable to eat.)
  2. In the same large deep sauté pan you used to cook the pasta, heat unsalted butter over medium-high heat until it has melted and is nice and bubbly. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Next, add the fresh chopped red chilies and sauté for another minute to combine.
  3. Then add the mushrooms and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until they have softened. (If it gets too dry, add a little olive oil or additional butter to the pan.)
  4. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Then, lower the heat to medium and gradually pour in the milk while continuing to whisk. Stir in the spices & seasonings in the Spice Bowl, the sugar, and the Tom Yum Paste. Then add the baby corn to the sauce and stir.
  5. Stir in freshly grated cheese and mix until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce starts to thicken.
  6. Add the linguini and all of the seafood to the sauce and toss continuously to combine. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the pasta and seafood has heated through. The starches in the pasta will break down and the sauce will further thicken.
  7. Add half of the chopped coriander and stir to combine. Then, switch off the heat.
  8. To Serve: Divide the Creamy Tom Yum Pasta into plates or transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining chopped coriander and serve!
Creamy orange-white pasta with seafood, baby corn, mushrooms, and chopped coriander in a white plate.

Full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.

Plate with spicy orange cream sauce pasta and seafood with a fork twirled around pasta

VARIATIONS

If you would like to customize this Tom Yum Pasta, you can…

  • Make it vegetarian: Simply omit the seafood and add the lime juice directly to the pasta sauce when you add the tom yum paste and sugar. Also, be sure to use a vegetarian tom yum paste.
  • Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour instead of regular flour. Or you can also use Bob’s Red Mill Sweet White Rice Flour instead of all-purpose. Also, do ensure that the cheese you are using is GF certified. (Most cheeses available in the supermarkets are GF, but it’s best to double check.) Also, be sure to use gluten-free pasta and a gluten-free tom yum paste (some might not be GF).
  • Add more or other veggies: Feel free to load this pasta up with other veggies like asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, etc. if you like and/or you’re making it vegetarian!
  • Make it vegan: Same as the above for making it vegetarian, but be sure to also use vegan cheese, vegan butter, and either almond or coconut milk.
  • Swap the protein: If you’re not into seafood, you can use diced chicken breasts/thighs or tofu cubes instead. Simply pan-fry the chicken or tofu with just the salt and pepper, then add and cook with a bit of garlic when almost done cooking. But add the lime juice directly to the pasta sauce when you add the tom yum paste and sugar.
Hand holding up a fork with a piece of shrimp and pasta above plate with pasta and seafood.

MORE EASY WEEKNIGHT PASTAS

Looking for more easy weeknight pasta recipes that can be whipped up in a flash? Below are some of the most popular pasta recipes on the blog and some of my favorites! 💛

Fork with piece of shrimp at the tip and creamy tom yum pasta with seafood in large pan.

MADE THIS RECIPE? If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how you liked it! Take a photo and tag it with @thatspicychick on Instagram and hashtag it #thatspicychick and I’ll be sure to share your masterpiece!

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Creamy Tom Yum Pasta

Creamy Tom Yum Pasta with seafood in a white round plate

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This Creamy Tom Yum Pasta is easy to make, exploding with Thai and Italian flavors, and super cozy and comforting! Seafood and veggies are tossed with pasta in a mouthwatering and fiery tom yum cream sauce!

  • Author: Lavina
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Sauté
  • Cuisine: Thai-Inspired

Ingredients

Scale

For the Seafood:

  • 130140g Squid – cut into ½-inch wide rings/pieces, skin removed, rinsed thoroughly, and pat-dried
  • 12 pieces frozen or fresh Littleneck Clams
  • 12 pieces Shrimp – peeled and deveined, rinsed thoroughly, and pat-dried
  • ½ TSP Kosher Salt, to taste
  • ¼½ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
  • 1.5 TBLS freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • 2 Garlic cloves – finely minced
  • 1 TBLS Olive or Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Creamy Tom Yum Pasta:

  • 8 ounces uncooked Linguini (or any pasta you like or have on hand)
  • 2 cups Baby Spinach, loosely packed (if using frozen, you’ll need just 1 & 1/2 cups)
  • 4 Garlic cloves – finely minced
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion – finely minced
  • 4 Red Chilies (optional), to taste and deseeded if desired – chopped
  • 2 Asian Black/Brown Mushrooms (such as Shitake) – soaked, stubs discarded (or reserved to make broth another day), and the meaty part thinly sliced
  • 4 pieces Baby Corn – cut in half lengthwise, and then again widthwise
  • 2 TBLS All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 cups Whole Milk
  • 1 TSP Kosher Salt
  • 1 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • 1 TSP Garlic Powder
  • 1 TSP Onion Powder
  • 1 TSP Dried Basil
  • 1 TSP Mint Flakes
  • 1 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Chili Flakes
  • 2.5 TSP White Sugar
  • 3 TBLS Tom Yum Paste (adjust to taste as some Tom Yum Pastes can be quite spicy)
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan Cheese
  • 34 TBLS freshly chopped Coriander (half for the sauce and half for garnish)
  • 2.5 TBLS Unsalted Butter

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Make the Spice Bowl: Combine all the spices and seasonings for the Creamy Tom Yum Pasta in a small bowl. Cover and set aside until needed.
  2. Prepare the Seafood: Rinse and chop the squid into ½-inch wide rings/pieces, then remove the skin, rinse again and pat-dry. Soak the clams for 20 minutes in a bowl of water, then rinse them thoroughly if using fresh.  (Note: If your clams are frozen and the package they came in indicates that they are ready to cook, you can skip soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing them.) Peel and devein the shrimp if needed, rinse thoroughly, and pat-dry with a paper towel. Place the squid, clams, and shrimp into individual bowls and set aside.
  3. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Finely mince the garlic, onion, and chop the coriander. Soak the mushrooms in water for a few minutes, rinse and drain well. Remove the stubs and discard (or save to make a soup or broth some other time), then thinly slice the meaty part. Slice the baby corn through the middle lengthwise, and then again through the middle widthwise. Wash and dry the baby spinach with paper towels, then set aside everything until needed.
  4. Cook the linguini: Cook the linguini al–dente according to package directions in a large pot or deep sauté pan of boiling salted water. During the last minute of cooking, add the baby spinach. Drain and set aside. (I like to run water over my pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further.) Rinse out the pan and set it back on the stove.

For the Creamy Tom Yum Pasta:

  1. Cook the seafood: Heat olive oil in a medium sized sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add all of the seafood, kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and lime juice. Sauté for a minute, then add the garlic and give everything a good stir to combine. Cover the pan and steam for 2-3 minutes. Uncover the pan and transfer the shrimp and squid to a clean bowl once they have just cooked through. Cover again and steam the clams for a further 2-3 minutes, or until their shells have opened. Then, switch off the heat. (Note: Discard any clams after this point if their shells are still closed tight. They are not suitable to eat.)
  2. In the same large deep sauté pan you used to cook the pasta, heat unsalted butter over medium-high heat until it has melted and is nice and bubbly. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Add the fresh chopped red chilies and sauté for another minute to combine.
  4. Next, add the mushrooms and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until they have softened. (If it gets too dry, add a little olive oil or additional butter to the pan.)
  5. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, lower the heat to medium and gradually pour in the milk while continuing to whisk.
  6. Stir in the spices & seasonings in the Spice Bowl, the sugar, and the Tom Yum Paste. Then add the baby corn to the sauce and stir.
  7. Add the freshly grated cheese and stir until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce starts to thicken.
  8. Add the linguini and all of the seafood to the sauce and toss continuously to combine. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the pasta and seafood has heated through. The starches in the pasta will break down and the sauce will further thicken.
  9. Add half of the chopped coriander and stir to combine. Then, switch off the heat.
  10. To Serve: Divide the Creamy Tom Yum Pasta into plates or transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining chopped coriander and serve!

Notes

  1. A note on cream sauces: Don’t worry if the sauce looks too “liquidy” even after combining the seafood and pasta with it. Cream sauces tend to settle and thicken once off the stovetop, so it will cling to the pasta and seafood perfectly after 2-3 minutes once off the heat.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 plate
  • Calories: 666
  • Sugar: 18g
  • Sodium: 1875.4mg
  • Fat: 24.7g
  • Saturated Fat: 10.9g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8.8g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 72g
  • Fiber: 4.1g
  • Protein: 41g
  • Cholesterol: 218.6mg
Creamy Tom Yum Pasta with clams, shrimp, squid, spinach, baby corn, mushrooms, and chopped coriander in a large pan.

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One comment on “Creamy Tom Yum Pasta”

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