Pasta With Fresh Mussels And Bay Scallops
This is an easy dish that can be prepared in advance. Just don’t add the spaghetti until you are ready to eat. Or do what I do when I am even more lazy than usual. Make the dish, stick it in the refrigerator, and then when you reheat it just toss some reserved pasta water in to smooth out the sauce. It’s great either way.
Pasta With Fresh Mussels And Bay Scallops
1 lb. Thin Spaghetti
2 lbs. Fresh Mussels
1 lb. Bay Scallops (I like scallops, but you can use less. ½ lb. is fine)
1 Small
Tomato (cored, seeded and finely diced),
or 4 ounces of canned, chopped tomatoes
2 Small Onions (chopped)
1 Garlic Clove (finely minced)
3 Tbls. Chopped Parsley
12 oz. White Wine
Olive Oil
Salt And Pepper to taste (Be careful. The scallops and the mussels are salty, so it doesn’t need much)
Sauté onions in a
large heavy pot in two to three tablespoons of olive oil on low/medium heat
until slightly caramelized (about 20
minutes).
Set a large pot
of salted water to boil for the spaghetti.
Place mussels in a
colander and rinse them in cold water, checking for opened or broken mussels; allow
the mussels to drain.
When onions are
cooked, turn heat to high and add white wine and garlic. Reduce for a
few minutes and then add the mussels. Cover and cook for two to three minutes, until
all of the mussels are open. Remove from heat.
Heat a small
sauce pan on medium/high heat for one minute. Add one to two tablespoons of olive
oil and the tomatoes. If you used fresh tomato, toss them for a few minutes until they
give up most of their liquid. Add the scallops and cook for two to three minutes,
until the scallops are no longer translucent. Add the parsley and cook for about
15 more seconds.
Remove the
mussels from their shells (use gloves; they will be hot), taking care not to
discard any of the onions.
Add the tomato
and scallop mixture to the pot with the mussels.
Cook the
spaghetti until just al dente and drain, reserving some of the water.
Add the spaghetti
to the mussels and toss until the spaghetti is coated liberally; add some pasta
water if necessary.
Serve
immediately, topped with grated parmesan cheese.
Filed under: recipes
I would add a bit of half and half.
Why? The sauce is flavorful and crisp. Why add something that will temper the flavors. Yes, it will add richness, but at the expense of flavor.