Haitian Seafood Spaghetti Recipe: The Midweek Dinner That Saved Me From Another Salad

My weekly cooking schedule is surprisingly predictable.

Sunday dinner is the big event, the meal that requires actual effort and multiple pots on the stove. If all goes according to plan, there are enough leftovers to carry us through Monday and Tuesday.

By Wednesday, I’m usually looking for an “in-between” meal, something hearty enough to bridge the gap until Fast Food Friday. Then Saturday is every person for themselves.

I’ve been operating on this schedule for years, and honestly, it works.

One of my favorite meals to make during that middle stretch of the week is Haitian Spaghetti. It’s flavorful, filling, stretches beautifully, and doesn’t cost a fortune to make. Basically everything I want in a family dinner.

The only problem? My boys.

My kids are wonderful, but their taste buds get bored easily. Especially my youngest, the Big Wolf.

If I put the exact same Haitian Spaghetti on the table every week, the complaints would start rolling in before the forks even hit the plates.

So over the years, I’ve learned to remix it.

Some versions include ground beef. Others feature kielbasa sausage. But after several years of being pescatarian, those variations don’t do much for me.

One evening, while staring into my refrigerator and mentally scrolling through dinner possibilities, the answer came to me almost immediately:

Why not make Haitian Seafood Spaghetti?

The idea felt so obvious that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it sooner.

Take a beloved Haitian comfort food, swap the traditional meat for seafood, and create a version that everyone in the house could enjoy. The boys love seafood nearly as much as I do, so it felt like a guaranteed win.

Thankfully, I was right.

Haitian Seafood Spaghetti

A pescatarian twist on a Haitian classic, packed with flavor and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients
16 oz mussels
½ pound snow crab legs
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
12 oz spaghetti
2 tablespoons marinara sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Haitian Epis
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Scotch bonnet pepper (kept whole)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1 packet chicken bouillon powder
1 packet Sazón seasoning
Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning, to taste
Season the Seafood

In a bowl, combine the mussels and crab legs with the lime juice and Cajun seasoning. Let everything marinate for 15 to 20 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Cook the Spaghetti

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the chicken bouillon powder.

Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Before draining, reserve about a cup of the pasta water. Set the pasta aside.

Make the Sauce.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the onions and bell peppers and sauté until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, Haitian Epis, thyme, paprika, and a light sprinkle of chicken bouillon.

Add the tomato paste and marinara sauce and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Pour in a splash of water or broth, then add the whole Scotch bonnet pepper, pressing the cloves into the pepper before adding it to the pot. Let the sauce simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

Add the Seafood

Add the mussels and crab legs to the sauce and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the seafood is fully cooked and infused with all those beautiful flavors.

Bring It All Together

Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and toss until every strand is coated.

If the sauce feels too thick, stir in a little of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Remove the Scotch bonnet pepper before serving.

Garnish with parmesan cheese. 

Serve hot and enjoy.

It was an absolute hit.

All-in-all, the seafood got a full seal of approval.

Needless to say, Haitian Seafood Spaghetti has officially earned a permanent spot in my dinner rotation.

Let me know in the comments!

Until the next recipe,

Blissfully Single & Yours