This may be the third or fourth FYCE recipe using mascarpone cheese. If you do not keep it on hand, you may want to, as it melts and mixes like a dream and screams to be turned into a sauce.
Cook, as per box directions for al dente, 16 ounces of pasta in salted water, whatever medium-sized pasta you have hanging around in your cupboard. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the water, and set it aside.
Lightly dredge a pound of scallops in flour and sauté in a bit of butter or oil until golden brown on each side. Set aside, in a warm oven or on a warming burner.
Melt a tablespoon or so of oil and 4-6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Cook one tablespoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 10+ounces sliced mushrooms (any kind) and 2 bunches of asparagus (trimmed and chopped into 1-2” pieces). Season with salt, pepper, and a scant teaspoon of your choice of onion or garlic powder. This will take 5-10 minutes, depending on how crowded your pan is; you want the mushrooms lightly golden and the asparagus tender. Turn your burner to low.
In yet another pan, small sauce pan this time, heat 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, a 1/4 cup of milk, and combine until saucy. Pour it over the vegetables on the skillet, and then fold in the pasta. (This is why you needed a large skillet.) Turn up the heat just enough to warm it all.
Plate the pasta with scallops scattered across the top.
This is a simple recipe, although heavy on dirty dishes. You could mix the scallops into the pasta before serving, if you are feeding four or more people and will use it all up in one sitting. Otherwise, I keep the pasta/vegetable mix separate so that it can be used again with a different protein with no leftover shellfish taste.
I will have some of this, thank you.
You and the Mrs. are always invited!
I like scallops, I’d make and eat this!
It was yummy, @Hannibal, and easy as well.
Oh my God, where has this been all my life? Unfortunately I already have strip steaks marinating for dinner, Swiss steak, recipe maybe TK, but tomorrow is my pre-Vatican II version of a Meatless Friday, so one of my favorite foods, scallops, are fair game. You can make your own mascarpone really easily, did you know that? It just takes some cheesecloth and a little foresight. It’s like ricotta. Of course I have made my own. Ten years of working/”working” from home will do that to a person.
@MatthewCrawley – right? Easy and yummy. I lack both foresight and cheesecloth…but can be trained? After all, I now own tongs!
I’ll show you how to do it, but it’s no more difficult, really, than boiling eggs or making a simple sauce. Better Half has watched me do it and while I strain the boiled cream has asked, more than once, “So is this the stuff that turns you into Mr. Hyde?” “Oh no, my Beloved, I feed it to the dog. When the moon is full in a couple of nights he will assume werewolf form. We’ll finally get rid of those annoying neighbors [in the adjoining apartment] and if my calculations are correct he’ll return to his normal canine form and we can plead total innocence.” “I wish you weren’t joking.” “Me too, but what I’m doing is making ricotta and eventually making stuffed shells.”
This sounds fucking excellent and just the kind of short distraction I needed after being in meetings all day–and I mean ALL. Fucking. Day.
One thing to consider, because scallops are so prone to bouncing like super balls if they get overcooked, is doing them last? Do you have any trouble with them getting too cooked while waiting in the warmer?
@butcherbakertoiletrymaker, I bet that you are correct, an order of steps change-up would work well. We tend to prefer our seafood close to overdone (and I suspect this drives you crazy). So yes – excellent idea!
I’m guessing you two aren’t sushi eaters then:)
Oohh I had scallops for the first time last month. I bet I could make this and enjoy them!!!
@brightersideoflife, do let us all know if you give it a go!