Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease a 9×9-inch baking dish well with butter or olive oil.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook your ziti noodles until they are just under al dente (about 2 minutes less than the box instructions). Drain and set aside.

The Hydrophilic Blend: In a blender or food processor, combine the softened cream cheese, drained roasted red peppers, and ½ cup of hot water. Blend on high speed for 45 to 60 seconds until a completely smooth, vibrant orange sauce forms. Pro Tip: Cream cheese can easily curdle or break when exposed to direct skillet heat. Pre-blending it with hot water and the natural sugars of the roasted peppers breaks down the fat globules into a stable, silky emulsion that will coat the pasta uniformly without separation.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the shrimp pieces, bay scallops, minced garlic, and salt to the skillet. Sauté for just 2 to 3 minutes, tossing continuously. The seafood should be just turning opaque on the outside but still translucent in the center. Immediately pull the skillet from the heat and tilt the pan to drain away any excess rendered liquid.

The Overcook Prevention Buffer: Pour your blended roasted red pepper sauce straight into the warm skillet with the seafood. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer gently for exactly 3 minutes to let the garlic infuse the sauce. Crucial: Delicate seafood like shrimp and bay scallops can turn rubbery and chewy in a flash. Par-cooking them just until pale pink before letting them finish cooking gently inside the liquid sauce insulates the proteins, protecting them from the dry heat of the oven later.

Toss the cooked ziti noodles and fresh chopped parsley directly into the seafood sauce skillet. Stir well until the hollow ziti tubes are completely flooded with the pepper sauce.

Pour the entire mixture into your prepared 9×9-inch baking dish. Blanket the top surface evenly with the ¾ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered at 400°F for 20 minutes until the cheese is completely melted, bubbling violently at the edges, and developing small golden brown spots. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving so the cream cheese matrix thickens slightly.