13 Restaurant Chains That Serve the Best Seafood Pastas

America has a hearty appetite for pasta, from the classic spaghetti and meatballs to traditional Italian dishes like bolognese and carbonara, According to the Rome-based International Pasta Organisation, the average American consumes about 20 pounds of pasta annually, with most eating it at least once a week.

While pasta can be simply prepared with just cheese and butter, there's something about rich, sweet seafood served over a warm plate of noodles that just hits right.

Seafood pasta dishes in the U.S. often feature a variety of fresh fish and shellfish. Shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, salmon, cod, and more types of seafood are typically served in rich, garlicky sauces with a touch of white wine, olive oil, or cream. Of course, other variations, like tomato-based sauces or spicy cream preparations, are also popular around the country.

When a craving hits for a creamy Alfredo with shrimp, a spicy red sauce with shellfish, or lobster spilling over a plate of linguini, we've got you covered with 13 chain restaurants around the country that serve the best seafood pastas.

Olive Garden

Quite a few Italian chains offer solid shrimp Alfredo, but Olive Garden raises the bar with its Seafood Alfredo, which sees the addition of scallops. The dish starts with creamy, Alfredo sauce made from scratch with ingredients like parmesan, cream, garlic and butter, which is then tossed with fettuccine, sautéed shrimp and scallops.

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The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory loves a good mashup, as evidenced by its hearty Cajun Jambalaya Pasta. Shrimp and chicken are sautéed with tomato, onions, and peppers in a very spicy Cajun-style sauce, and served over fresh linguini. This southern-influenced dish has some heat, but it works to bring out the sweetness of the shrimp.

Bravo Italian Kitchen

Craving a decadent lobster pasta dish? Look no further than Bravo Italian Kitchen's Shrimp and Lobster Fettuccine, made with Maine lobster, sweet shrimp, fresh fettuccine, roasted grape tomatoes, and green onions in a light cream sauce. This hearty dish will cure your shellfish cravings fast.

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Maggiano's Little Italy

With a warm, welcoming environment that's family friendly, Maggiano's is one of those chain restaurants you can take just about anyone for a great meal. Founded in 1991 in Chicago, the restaurant serves an excellent Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo made with asiago cream and aged parmesan for a rich, decadent sauce. And if that's not enough seafood for you, you can add salmon to any Maggiano's pasta dish.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Red Lobster

With around 500 locations around the U.S., Red Lobster remains the seafood chain of choice for many causal diners, and you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who can't be tempted by the chain's famed Cheddar Bay Biscuits. When indulgence is on the menu, the Bar Harbor Lobster Bake is the way to go. This decadent dish features split Maine lobster tails with shrimp, mussels and fresh tomatoes, over linguini in a garlic and white wine broth.

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Carrabba's Italian Grill

Pasta dishes are Carrabba's speciality and one fan favorite is the Fettuccine Weezie, which is the restaurant's take on fettuccine Alfredo, made with sautéed shrimp, scallions, garlic, and mushrooms in a rich white wine lemon butter sauce. It's not exactly a traditional version of the dish, but it is delicious. The chain also serves a solid Linguine Pescatore with shrimp, scallops, and mussels in spicy marinara.

Brio Italian Grille

This small Italian chain, founded in Ohio in the '90s, has about 50 locations around the country, and the upscale casual restaurant is known for crowd pleasers with a twist. The Sicilian Shrimp Spaghetti, with seared shrimp tossed in house-made Sicilian tomato sauce made with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichokes and yellow onions, is served with spaghetti and topped with feta. The sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese add a layer of flavor that gives the dish that extra something special.

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Bonefish Grill

If you love a nice piece of salmon, Bonefish Grill has an excellent pasta option to feed those cravings. Bonefish Signature Pasta with Salmon sees red peppers and artichokes tossed in creamy creole sauce and finished over linguine. You can also order this dish with shrimp.

Johnny Carino's

Tilapia is a light fish that many diners love because the mild flavor allows it to be used in many dishes, and it's not overwhelming to those who don't regularly eat seafood. The heavy lifting in Johnny Carino's Jalapeño Garlic Tilapia  is done by frying the tilapia, giving it a nice crispy crunch, and the addition of garlic and jalapeño peppers. The lemon butter cream sauce tempers the heat from the peppers, and when served over spaghetti, makes this a nicely balanced dish.

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Legal Sea Foods

Colloquially known in New England as "clams ovah," Legal Sea Foods' Clams and Linguini is an excellent take on this coastal Italian favorite (where it is known as spaghetti alle vongole). The Legal take on this dish is made with clams, garlic and shallot confit, pancetta, white wine, and chili flakes, all served over a heaping, warm plate of linguini.

Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse

This East Coast chain is known for great steaks, but also excellent Italian dishes. From the farinacei portion of the menu—the word literally means starchy food—the fusilli with grilled prawns and pancetta is a savory pasta dish that's cooked in vermentino wine and olive oil, which allows the prawns and pancetta to shine. Plus, Davio's makes its pasta fresh daily.

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Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano

This small Midwest chain, with locations in Illinois, Colorado, Iowa, and Indiana, offers a tasty take on classic Alfredo. Biaggi's Cajun Alfredo Rigatoni is packed with shrimp, grilled chicken, and Italian sausage, which are stirred into a spicy Cajun-style Alfredo sauce studded with roasted red peppers. The spice in this dish is more flavorful than palate-scorching, and brings out the flavor of the seafood and meat.

Moretti's

This Chicago-area chain is known for its excellent thin-crust and deep-dish pizzas, but don't sleep on their pasta if a craving strikes. The restaurant's Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi Over Angel Hair is packed with jumbo shrimp, mushrooms, and baby spinach that are sautéed in white wine butter sauce. Capers, garlic, shallots and fresh basil deliver a simple blend of rich flavors.