Scallops and Pasta

Scallops and Pasta

Bay Scallops or Sea Scallops.  Your choice.

Both the Sea and Bay types of scallops are related: I think the Bay scallops are light and sweet and the Sea scallops are more intense in flavor.

I have recently realized that the larger Sea scallop is my scallop of choice. Having recently come to this conclusion, I still had two one pound packages of bay scallops in my freezer and I had to do something with them.  The flavor of the bay variety to me is sweeter and lighter and lacking in the robust flavor of the Sea scallop, so I think I need to infuse taste and not rely on the natural sea taste of the sea scallops to make a dish pop.

I am using red pepper, garlic, crushed dry red pepper for heat and parsley and a good splash of olive oil and lemon. We do not want to over power the scallops but just brighten them up.

So first we need to cook the ingredients --all --but the scallops, as they will take minutes to cook thru only.

Add the Scallops

1 pound bay scallops with its juice
1 red pepper diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion minced finely
1/2 cup minced parsley (fresh only)
½ lemon juiced
Fresh black pepper
½ pound of your choice pasta cooked...come on….. you all know…EL DENTE...only!

Place olive oil in sauce pan and sauté the red pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, onion and parsley for about 3-4 minutes.  Take the scallops from its juice and add to sizzling hot sauce pan and cook 2 minutes per side.  Add juice of the scallops and the lemon and cook 2 minutes more.

Place on cooked pasta of choice. I choose spaghetti.  But most people would suggest an angel hair. 

PLATING: I always go for cheese on top and more red pepper flakes!  A few sprinkles of chopped fresh parsley will look wonderful

Finishing the dish:

Who made the rule that fish and cheese cannot be mixed? 

Not me!  I pretty much think nothing goes poorly with CHEESE, as I really must have been a mouse in some prior life.

So I do, yes... yes I put grated Parmesan on my fish and pasta dishes! 

(So maybe the white gloved server at the best seafood restaurant raises his eye-brow and even have the audacity to say …Mame but you are having fish..,Who cares, I still request a few shavings of that precious cheese! Don’t be intimidated... Who is paying for the meal anyway!)

TIPS:

·        If you use spiral pasta or smaller types of pasta that you place into the sauce rather than top with the sauce, remember the pasta as well as the fish will continue to cook while it is on the heat,so adjust cooking times.

·        White wine is a wonderful addition.

·        Butter would be a good choice to add to smooth the sauce out at the end (meaning add 1-2 teaspoons of butter to the sauce and whisk in). I don’t feel the calories warrant the bit of extra taste (BUT:please note the taste of butter in any sauce is hands  DOWN better)

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!