Scallop Sauce with Olive Oil, Garlic and Hot Pepper
I have been home from Italy for four days, and am still in a food coma from my three weeks in Bologna. I have been cooking amazing pasta dishes from Emilia-Romagna to give my husband a taste of what he missed this trip, and what he has to look forward to when we return next year.
I made this dish a couple of days before I left for Italy, and we both enjoyed it very much. We love scallops, but I have never thought to have them with pasta! The scallops are cut into small pieces, and sauteed with simply garlic, hot red chili pepper, fresh parsley and olive oil, then tossed with the hot spaghetti and bread crumbs. The hot pepper gives the dish a nice kick, and the scallops were tender and delicious!
This is my first time here and I am welcomed with this delicious dish. Definitely a keeper.
Deborah responds: Thanks for commenting! It looks like you found us through one of the Pomodori – Sandi- right? We hope you’ll come back often.
I cannot continue to cook all of the dishes I have given recipes for – there must be at thousand of them and there are only two of us – but this is one of the seafood pastas I come back to again and again. I made it just last Thursday. In Venice I would make it with canestrei, tiny scallops, because the large cape sante, which we buy live, are for baking with their roe in their shells with thyme and olive oil. Speaking of olive oil, here is a dish that really showcases the beauty of a fine Italian olive oil. And the bread crumbs – no cheese please – really pull the dish together.
When I buy scallops in America, they are usually almost frozen, even if they are sold as fresh, and they throw off a lot of liquid in the pan. I cope by temporarily removing the scallops from the pan after I have sauteed them while I boil away the liquid they have shed.
Deborah responds: Marcella, that’s a great tip for coping with the frozen scallops. I’ll be sure to try it next time.
Welcome home Palma and thank you for blogging during your trip!
This recipe brings back memories. We used to make it often, and then for some unknown reason, it fell off of our radar. Thank you for bringing it back to my attention. It looks fantastic!
I’ve never had scallops with pasta to the best of my knowledge, usually with risotto. Again the simpleness (is that a word)LOL, of ingredients, all blend together to make an amazing taste.
I also appreciate the input in regards to boiling off the water from the frozen scallops. Living in New England I often buy scallops and I will have to try this recipe.
Thank you ALL again for your passion and love for cooking!!
I prepared this dish last night – it was incredible. I’ve been cooking from ‘Essentials’ for nearly 10 years, but for some reason this recipe never made it onto the shopping list. Thank you Pomodori, for inspiring me to try something new from my favourite cookbook.