For a date night dinner its hard to beat scallops and prosciutto over capellini pasta, its quick and easy and you have a great reason to start date night off with champagne toast. I think the little bay scallops that you can get frozen are a nice convenience seafood: they are a good price, farm raised/sustainable and you can keep them frozen until you need them. While not the same as a lovely large fresh scallop they are still very good in pastas or risottos. One of my favorite meals of all time is a scallop wrapped in bacon and seared hard, the buttery scallop and salty bacon, yummy. Here I have tried to recreate those flavors in a simple to make pasta dish. Paired with the rest of that bottle of white wine or champagne you have used in sauce and a green salad this is a great way to enjoy seafood any night of the week.
Scallops and Prosciutto over Capellini
Ingredients
- ½ lbs small bay scallops
- 8-12 slices of prosciutto diced
- 6-8 cloves roasted garlic pealed
- ½ cup white wine or champagne
- 3 tbsp fresh basil
- Flour for dusting
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- ½ lbs capellini or other pasta reserve 1 cup cooking water
Instructions
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In a large flat sided pan brown the prosciutto in a little olive oil. Remove the prosciutto from the pan and set aside, keeping the rendered fat in the pan. While the ham is browning drop your pasta into a pot of salted boiling water. Cook per package directions.
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Dust your thawed bay scallops with salt, pepper and flour. Be gentle these little guys will fall apart if you handle them roughly. Put them into the still hot pan you used for the prosciutto and sauté.
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When the scallops are almost cooked add the chopped roasted garlic, stir allowing the garlic to break apart. Add the white wine and then return the prosciutto.
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Drop the al dente pasta into the sauté pan and toss with the sauce. If you need more liquid in your sauce add some pasta water. Salt to taste and add lots of fresh ground black pepper, enough to give a bit of kick.
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Plate with the fresh basil sprinkled on top, if you enjoy fresh basil this is a great recipe to go crazy and double the portion.
