I just wanted something easy and light for dinner tonight.
I love making anything with pasta and seafood and we do get beautiful seafood here in Texas any time of the year. Scallops and pasta are a perfect combination for a light dinner and this recipe fits all my criteria for quick and easy. Today while shopping the seafood section of my favorite store, the scallops were screaming “buy me”. Originally I was going to do this recipe with shrimp but decided to give these little bay scallops a try since they were on sale.
The firely pasta recipe is one of Giada’s. I made 1/4 the amount of chili oil need and that was probably enough for 2 recipes.
The chili oil is really easy to make. Simply heat the oil with the chili peppers. Be careful not to fry your pepper flakes.
Simple ingredients for an incredibly easy recipe.
Sprinkle the scallops with seasoning of your choice and saute. I used a chili lime seasoning that I picked up at the store.
Serve with some crusty bread and a simple green salad for a delicious light meal.
Firey Pasta with Bay Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 pound angel hair pasta
- 1/2 cup Chili Oil recipe follows
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- Coarse sea salt
- Dried crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel optional
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 lb. bay scallops or shrimp
- Chili Oil:
- 2 cups olive oil
- 4 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the angel hair pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
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Stir the oil, parsley, lemon juice and lemon peel in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and toss with enough reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and red pepper flakes, to taste. Sprinkle grated lemon peel over pasta for extra flavor and texture. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve. Serves 4 to 6.
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For Chili Oil: Combine the oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a heavy small saucepan. Cook over low heat until a thermometer inserted into the oil registers 180 degrees F, about 5 minutes.
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Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer the oil and pepper flakes to a 4-ounce bottle. Seal the lid. Refrigerate up to 1 month.
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